


Harry Potter and the Veela Girls

by OriginalHealer



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Stubborn Hermione Granger, Triwizard Tournament, Veela, Veela Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 96,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24547180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalHealer/pseuds/OriginalHealer
Summary: Fleur/Hermione Femlash. Fleur grew up knowing whe was veela, Hermione didn't know she was one too. What's up with Snape? Takes place during the Goblet of Fire
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger
Comments: 12
Kudos: 284





	1. So… you fancy girls

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Harry Potter fic, and it contains the relationship between two females, so if it bothers you, please don’t keep reading.
> 
> It begins with the ride on Hogwarts Express in the fourth book with some “little” changes.
> 
> Bare in mind that I own neither Harry Potter nor its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY’RE NOT MINE. I only own the idea of making Hermione a half-breed veela.
> 
> I also not own the veela bonding/courtship ritual, that was an idea from D. Geheimnis and Dreiser; I came upon their fics "Accune Defense pour toi" and "No Defense for you", I strongly recomend you read those fics. Fleur's line """patience in all things, patience in one thing""" in "Accune Defense pour toi" was what triggered this plot in my head.

**_Chapter 01_ **

**_So… you fancy girls_ **

The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already at platform 9 and three-quarters, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie.

“I might be seeing you all sooner than you think” said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.

“Why?” said Fred keenly

“You’ll see” said Charlie. “Just don’t tell Percy I mentioned it… it’s classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it, after all.”

“Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year” said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.

“Why?” said George impatiently.

“You’re going to have an interesting year” said Bill, his eyes twinkling “I might eve get time off to come and watch a bit of it…”

“A bit of what?” said Ron

But at that moment the whistle blew and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.

“Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs Weasley” said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door and leaned out the window to talk to her.

“Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley” said Harry

“Oh it was my pleasure, dears” said Mrs. Weasley “I’d invite you for Christmas butt… well, I excpect you’re all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with… one thing and another”

“Besides, most certainly Hermione would want to go back home to meet her muggle girlfriend again” said George making Hermione blush.

“She’s not my girlfriend” Said Hermione annoyed

“But you want her to” said Ginny

“I only want my book back” replied Hermione

“Yeah right, and we don’t like pranks” said Fred

“It’s going to be very exciting, mind you” said Mrs. Weasley “I don’t think you’ll want to come home Hermione. I’m very glad they’ve changed the rules…”

“What rules?” asked Harry, Ron, Fred and George together

“I’m sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you…” began Mrs. Weasley

“Mum!” said Ron irritably. “What d’you three know that we don’t”

“You’ll find out this evening, I expect” said Mrs. Weasley “Now, behave, won’t you? Won’t you, Fred? And you, George?”

The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.

“Tell us what’s happening at Hogwarts!” Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie sped away from them. “What rules are they changing?”

But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill and Charlie had Disapparated.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes and flung them over Pigwidgeon’s cage to muffle his hooting.

“So, what is it about a girlfriend Hermione?” asked Harry

“You won’t believe it mate” began Ron excitedly. “Our friend here fell for a muggle girl” Hermione blushed and lowered her gaze

“I already told you Ronald, she’s an annoying thieve”

“Yeah, she did steal your heart” Said Ron playfully

“No!” said Hermione “She merely refused to give me my book back”

“What did I miss?” asked Harry now concerned

“Sorry Harry, I meant to tell you but…” began Hermione “but with the World Cup and what happened there, well I kinda forgot”

“What happened?”

“Well, it all started a couple of weeks after I got home. I went for a stroll at the park and…”

Hermione walked through the park with a book under her arm, she was looking for a tall tree that might provide her with a nice cool shadow to set down an read when she spotted the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. It was a young female, silvery blond hair and amazing blue eyes. Their gazes locked and neither could help the smile that crept to their faces, Hermione was locked in place, wasn’t able to move from where she stood. The blonde walked towards her and as she approached Hermione’s smile faded and she began to feel uncomfortable and really annoyed, the blonde seem to doubt a little noticing the change in Hermione’s attitude but kept going and passed by the brunette carrying on her way towards a bench nearby.

Hermione had to remind herself to breathe when the annoyance passed; she then turned around and say that the blonde was at a safe distance so she too carry on in her quest for a tree.

The next few days were pretty much the same, Hermione hadn’t expected to see the blond again but smiled nevertheless when they crossed paths again, oddly enough the annoyance crept again so she turned away and headed to her now proclaimed tree.

After a couple of weeks, Hermione had noticed that the blond girl kept coming closer and closer to her tree each passing day and that she herself was feeling wary every time someone else approached the blond and even more when the blond engaged in conversation with them.

Hermione was leaning back against the tree thinking about her reactions, it was really annoying not knowing what exactly “annoyed” her about the other girl, Hermione acknowledged that the blond was gorgeous but she didn’t know a thing about her. Then it happened, she hadn’t realized how close her tormentor was when someone snatched the book she had at her lap.

“‘ou do know t’at reading a book upside down might be a tricky thing?” asked the blond in an accentuated French accent, which annoyed Hermione furthermore

“And you do know that snatching a book from a stranger is impolite?” said Hermione trying to recover her book, which she realized was none other than ‘ _Hogwarts, A History_ ’

“That can be eeezily arranged. I’m Fleur Delacour” said the blond offering her right hand to Hermione.

“Miss Delacour, could you give me back my book?” said Hermione trying to keep calm, she was really annoyed by the blond.

“I will when ‘ou tell me ‘our name”

“Fine, keep it” said Hermione leaving the blond stunned.

“So you let her keep your book, it’s not robbery” Said Harry

“Of course it is, she stole it and didn’t give it back” Retorted Hermione

“You could have just told her your name you know?” said Harry “Why didn’t you? You said you liked her”

“Yes, I know what I said thank you very much” said Hermione

“Hold mate!” Began Ron “They made a bet, right after the muggle told Hermione she liked her”

“She told you that?” asked Harry, Hermione merely nodded.

“A week after that, I told her I needed my book because I was to leave for the rest of the summer to a place of a friend. She said that she liked me and that wouldn’t give up”

“Look, I really like ‘ou and for now I only want ‘our name” said Fleur under ‘their’ tree.

“Well, I don’t like you so you better stop harassing me” said Hermione

“‘ou are the one woo keeps coming ‘ere to meet me” said Fleur with a smile on her face

“I only want my book back” said Hermione getting angrier

“I didn’t bring it with me, in fact I’m reading it” said Fleur triumphantly

“You are?” said a pale Hermione “Why would you do that?”

“I figured if ‘ou wanted it that badly, then it muzt be a really good book, but I’m telling ‘ou, if ‘ou hadn’t read it already, it eeezz really boring. Except maybe for the sorting thing…”

“Sorting thing?” Asked Hermione

“Yes, if it was real, I might think ‘ou’d be sorted into Ravenclaw, because ‘ou look really smart. Or maybe into Gryffindor, since ‘ou’re so passionate and determined” Smirked Fleur

“And then you’d be a Slytherin!” Retorted Hermione

“Oh, so ‘ou’ve read the book. Why do ‘ou want it then?”

“It was a gift from someone I really care about” said Hermione in a low voice.

“I told ‘ou, if ‘ou want it, ‘ou just have to tell me ‘our name”

“Why do you want to know my name?” asked Hermione annoyed

“Have ‘ou not payed attention at all? I really like ‘ou”

“And I don’t like you. In fact you annoy me so let me be”

“Lets make a bet” said Fleur “‘ou’re leaving tomorrow, right?” Hermione nodded “I bet we’ll see each other again before Christmas break is over.”

“You’re delusional” said Hermione

“Humor me” began Fleur “If I win, ‘ou’ll tell me ‘our name and I’ll give ‘ou ‘our precious book”

“And when I win?” asked Hermione pretty sure she would win

“Then I’ll meet ‘ou here, a year form the day we first saw each other, I’ll give ‘ou the book and ‘ou’ll never have to see me again”

“Miss Delacour, you have a deal”

“Then why would you want to go back for Christmas?” asked Harry confused

“She realized that she rather have her muggle friend annoying her than not having her at all” said Ron matter of factly

“So… you fancy girls now” said Harry

“Only her” Confessed Hermione after a few seconds

“Then why didn’t you tell her your name?” asked Harry

“I already told you, even when I like her she just annoys me, her mere presences annoys me almost as much as…” she fell silent noticing that there was a chat in the compartment next door. “almost as much as that” she whispered pointing toward the compartment next to theirs. Harry and Ron listened, and heard a familiar drawling voice drifting in through the open door.

“… Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the Headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore --- the man’s such a Mudblood-lover --- and Durmstrang doesn’t admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn’t like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we doo…”

Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy’s voice.

“So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?” she said angrily. “I wish he had gone, then we wouldn’t have to put up with him”

“Durmstrang’s another wizarding school?” said Harry

“Yes” said Hermione sniffily “and it’s got a horrible reputation. According to ‘ _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_ ’, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts”

“I think I’ve heard of it” said Ron vaguely. “Where is it? What Country?”

“Well, nobody knows, do they?” said Hermione, raising her eyebrows.

“Er, why not?” said Harry

“There’s traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beuxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets,” said Hermione matter-of-factly

“Come off it” said Ron, starting to laugh “Durmstrang’s got to be about the same size as Hogwarts, how are you going to hide a great big castle?”

But Hogwarts IS hidden” Said Hermione in surprise “Everyone knows that… well, everyone who’s read ‘ _Hogwarts, A History_ ’ anyway.”

“Just you then” Said Ron

“And her muggle girlfriend” said Harry

“I told you, she’s not my girlfriend!” said Hermione

“Ok… so go on, how d’you hide a place like Hogwarts?” said Ron

“It’s bewitched” said Hermione “If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE”

“So Durmstrang’ll just look like a ruin to an outsider too?”

“Maybe” said Hermione shrugging “or it might have a Muggle-repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they’ll have made it Unplottable”

“Come again?”

“Well, you can enchant a building so it’s impossible to plot on a map, can’t you?”

“Er, if you say so” said Harry

“But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north” said Hermione thoughtfully “Somewhere very cold, because they’ve got fur capes as part of their uniforms”

The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. And after the confrontation with Malfoy later on, neither Ron’s nor Hermione’s mood improved for the rest of the journey. They didn’t talk much as they changed into their school robes, and were still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at least and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station.

As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled up Crookshanks in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the rtain, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.Harry, Ron and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Hermione was lost in thought until she heard Harry again

“Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don’t they?”

“Oh no, not necessarily” said Hermione “Parvati Patil’s twin’s in Ravenclaw, and they’re identical. You’d think they’d be together, woudn’t you?”

Hermione looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats than usual. Hagrid of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the Drying of the entrance, because of the prank Peeves pulled. But there was another empty chair too.

“Where’s the new DADA teacher?” said Hermione

“Maybe they couldn’t get anyone” said Ron looking anxious.

Hermione’s attention drifted back to the staff table where she could see little Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Professor Sinistra, Professor Snape who was staring intently at her, and at the center of the table sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster. After a couple of minutes of the staring match with Professor Snape, the potion master, Hermione’s mind went back to her summer, that was until she heard Nearly Headles nick speak about The Bloody Baron, the Slytherin ghost, controlling Peeves.

“Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something” said Ron darkly “So what did he do in the kitchens?”

“Oh the usual” Said Nearly Headless Nick shrugging. “Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits…”

Hermione had knocked over the golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.

“There are house-elves here?” she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. “Here at Hogwarts?”

“Certainly” said the ghost looking surprised at her reaction “The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred”

“I’ve never seen one!” said Hermione

“Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?” said Nearly Headless Nick “They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning… see to the fires and so on… I mean, you’re not supposed to see them, are you? That’s the mark of a good house-elf, isn’t it, that you don’t know it’s there?

“But they get paid?” she said “They get holidays, don’t they? And, and sick leave, and pensions and everything?”

“Sick leave and pensions?” said de ghost “House-elves don’t want sick leave and pensions!”

Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upong it and pushed it away from her.

“Oh c’mon, ‘Er-my-knee” said Ron spraying Hary bits of Yorkshire pudding “Oops, sorry ‘Arry” He swallowed. “You won’t get them sick leave by starving yourself!”

“Slave labor” Said Hermione, breathing hard though her nose “That’s what made this dinner. Slave labor”

And she refused to eat another bite.

When the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

“So!” said Dumbledore smiling around at them all “Now that we are all fed and watered”

“Hmmph!” said Hermione

“I must once more ask for you attention” continued Dumbledore giving the standard notices “It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers’ time and energy, but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year”

“You’re JOKING!” said Fred Weasley loudly

“I am not joking, Mr. Weasley” said Dumbledore “Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaum who…”

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly

“Er, but maybe this is not the time… no…” Said Dumbledore “Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation”

Dumbledore went on with explaining what it was, and the rules changed because of the death toll. He then added that the contenders of Beuxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving in October and that the selection of the Champions would take place at Halloween by and impartial judge.

A little after that, arrived a man with a strange look who was introduced by Dumbledore as Professor Moody, the new DADA teacher. Then afterwards there was a great scarping and banging as all the students got to their feet swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George set off for the entrance Hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament.

“Who’s this impartial judge who’s going to decide who the champions are?” said Harry

“Dunno” said Fred “but it’s them we’ll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it George…”

“Dumbledore knows you’re not of age, though” said Ron.

“Yeah, but he’s not the one who decides who the champions are, is he?” said Fred. “Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he’ll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore’s trying to stop us giving our names”

“People have died, though!” said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower which was concealed behind the portrait of the Fat Lady.

“Password” she said as they approached

“Balderdash” said George “a prefect downstairs told me”

Te portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed.

“On the bright sight Hermione, you might want to owl your girlfriend with your name” Said Fred “and tell her you won’t be able to make it”

“ha ha, really funny” She said casting a dark look at the crackling fire that warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. “Slave labor” she muttered before disappearing through the doorway to the girls’ dormitory.

That night Hermione dreamed of Fleur Delacour, and wondered what her muggle obsession might have seen in her.


	2. Here They Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The delegations from the other magic schools arrive to Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard Torunament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bare in mind that I own neither Harry Potter nor its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY’RE NOT MINE. I only own the idea of making Hermione a half-breed veela.

**_Chapter 02_ **

**_Here they come_ **

The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Harry, Ron, and Hermione examined their new course schedules at breakfast. A few seats along, Fred, George and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.

“Today’s not bad…outside all morning” said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. “Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures… damn it, we’re still with the Slytherins…”

“Double Divination this afternoon” Harry groaned looking down.

“You should have given it up like me, shouldn’t you?”said Hermione briskly remembering that Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry’s death, which she found extremely annoying. “Then you’d be doing something sensible like Arithmancy”

“Oh, but that way, we wouldn’t be able to predict the future of your muggle love” Said Ron making fun of Hermione.

“Stop it Ronald!” said Hermione buttering herself some toast.

“You’re eating again, I notice” said Harry watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too.

“I’ve decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights” said Hermione.

“Yeah… and you were hungry” said Ron grinning.

There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Hermione wondered if she should do as Fred and George suggested, and owl her muggle obsession, maybe that way she’d spook the blond off. Her preoccupation lasted all the way across the sodden vegetable patch until they arrived in greenhouse three, but was distracted by Professor Sprout’s lesson.

Even with the Slytherins, Care of Magical Creatures proved to be an interesting challenge, Hagrid had managed to get hold of Blast-Ended Skrewts that they were supposed to raise as a project for the year. Of course Malfoy didn’t like the idea and made the usual scene.

At midday they sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that Harry and Ron stared at her.

“Is this the new stand on elf rights” said Ron “You’re going to make yourself puke instead?”

“No” said Hermione noticing that Snape was staring at her again from the staff table. “I just want to get to the library”

“What?” said Ron I disbelief. “Hermione, it’s the first day back! We haven’t even got homework yet!”

Hermione shrugged feeling uncomfortable and continued to shovel her food as though she had not eaten for days. Then she leapt to her feet, said, “See you at dinner!” and departed at high speed.

At the entrance of the Great Hall she was stopped by Joseph Smith, a Hufflepuff 6th year student.

“Excuse me miss Granger” Hermione had seen him before in the library but they had never spoken before. “I’m Joe, and I was wondering if you had plans for our first Hogsmeade weekend”

“What?” Asked Hermione not getting what this boy wanted

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” said a blushing Joe when the bell rang to signal the start of the afternoon lessons.

“I have to go or I’ll be late” Hermione excused herself not believing what she had just heard.

The next few days Hermione began to wonder what had gotten into Hogwarts, not only Joe had asked her out, but a bunch of Ravenclaws as well as Hufflepufss, a few Gryffindors, and even two Slytherins. Fred and Geroge had noticed that and decided to keep an eye on her, so when she was not in the company of Harry and Ron, she was always seen with the twins.

Ron and Harry were working in the Gryffindor common room on their Divination assignment. Fred and George had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in the other. Crookshanks arched his back purring.

“Hello” she said “I’ve just finished!”

“So have I!” said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill.

Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Ron’s predictions toward her.

“Not going to have a very good month, are you?” she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.

“Ah well, at least I’m forewarned” said Ron “When we get to foresee other’s future, I’ll use you as my subject, I bet you’ll do better, specially with your muggle girlfriend” he grinned.

“You seem to be drowning twice” said Hermione, deciding to ignore Ron’s last comment.

“Oh am I?” said Ron peering down at his predictions. “I’d better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit obvious you’ve made these up?” said Hermione

“How dare you!” said Ron in mock outrage “We’ve been working like house-elves here!”

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

“It’s just an expression” said Ron hastily.

Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.

“What’s in the box?” he asked

“Funny you should ask” said Hermione with a nasty look at Ron. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S.P.E.W.

“Spew?” Said Harry picking up a badge and looking at it. “What’s this about?”

“Not spew” Said Hermione impatiently “It’s S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare”

“Never heard of it” said Ron

“Well, of course you haven’t” said Hermione briskly. “I’ve only just started it”

“Yeah?” said Ron in mild surprise “How many members have you got?”

“Well, if you two join, four” said Hermione

“And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying ‘spew’, do you?” said Ron

“S-P-E-W!” Said Hermione hotly “I was going to put ‘ _Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status_ ’, but it wouldn’t fit. So that’s the heading of our manifesto.” She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them. “I’ve been researching it thoroughly in the Library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can’t believe no one’s done anything about it before now. That’s not only slavery but discrimination too, you know?”

“Hermione, open your ears” said Ron loudly “They. Like. It. They like being enslaved”

“Our short-term aims” said Hermione speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn’t heard a word. “are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they’re shockingly underrepresented”

“And how do we do all this?” asked Harry

“We start by recruiting members” said Hermione happily. “I thought two sickles to join, that buys a badge, and the proceeds can found our leaflet campaign. You’re treasurer, Ron, I’ve got you a collecting tin upstairs, and Harry, you’re secretary, so you might want to write down everything I’m saying now, as a record of our first meeting.”

There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them and noticed that there were a few students around them looking intently at her.

“You said that with us both, we’d be 4 members. Who have you managed to get into it?” Asked Harry in disbelief, Hermione blushed a little.

“Joe.. Smith, from Hufflepuff.” She said in a low voice.

Some of the students around them dispersed again and went back to their stuff, but the ones who stayed asked Hermione for a badge each in order to join her. Hermione beamed at that and gave all the collected money to Ron who just stood there dumbfounded. Harry noticed that Hermione was writing everyone’s name in a list, and that at the top of the list were his and Ron’s name along with Hermione’s. He had to smile at that, his friend never doubted they’d be helping her, even if they didn’t agree with her methods. A few girls also joined, but not as much as the boys from 5th year and up.

When that meeting finished, silenced filled the room, on the box only stood now 10 badges or so. Harry sat torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron’s face. The silence was broken by a soft ‘tap tap’ on the window. Harry looked across the now empty common room and say, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.

“Hedwig!” he shouted and launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.

Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room and landed on the table on top of Harry’s notes of the meeting.

“About time!” said Harry hurrying after her.

“She’s got and an answer!” said Hermione excitedly pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig’s leg, she too wanted to know what Sirius had to say.

Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee hooting softly.

“What does it say?” Hermione asked breathlessly

The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud:

_Harry:_

_I’m flying north immediately. This news about your scar is_

_The latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here_

_If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore…._

_They’re saying he’s got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he’s_

_Reading the signs, even if no one else is._

_I’ll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione and her girlfriend. *grins*_

_Keep your eyes open, all of you._

**_ SIRIUS _ **

Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, who stared back at him.

“Why did you tell him?” asked Hermione, Ron and Harry only shrugged, then Hermione remembered that it was unimportant. “He’s flying north?” she whispered. “He’s coming back?”

“Dumbledore’s reading what signs?” said Ron looking perplexed. “Harry… what’s up?”

For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap. “I shouldn’t’ve told hem!” he said furiously

“What are you talking about?” said Ron in surprise.

“It’s made him think he’s got to come back!” said Harry, now slamming his fist on the table. “Coming back, because he thinks I’m in trouble! And there’s nothing wrong with me! And I haven’t got anything for you!” Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly. “you’ll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food”

Hedwig gave him and offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.

“Harry” Hermione began in a pacifying sort of voice

“I’m going to bed” said Harry shortly “See you in the morning”

A few days after that, Harry had managed to write a letter back to Sirius, trying to reassure him that it was fin and that he shouldn’t come back. That same day in DADA class, Professor Moody announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.

“But… but you said it’s illegal, Professor” said Hermione uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. “You said, to use it against another human was…”

“Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like” said Moody, his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with and eerie, unblinking stare. “If you’d rather learn the hard way, when someone’s putting it on you so they can control you completely, fine by me. You’re excused. Off you go.”

He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door. Hermione went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave. Harry and Ron grinned at each other. They knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson.

Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. Hermione watched as one by one, her classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered when Moody had removed it.

“Granger” Moody growled. “you next”

Hermione moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Moody had cleared of desks. Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Hermione and said “Imperio!”

After a blissful moment where she felt like floating, she heard Mad-Eye’s voice echoing in some distant chamber of her empty brain: “ _Kiss the one you fancy_ ”

Hermione prepared herself to walk out the room and write an owl to Fleur.

“ _Kiss the one you fancy_ ”

 _Why though?_ Another voice had awoken in the back in the back of her brain. _She annoys the crap out of you. Stupid thing to do now, considering she’s not even around_.

“ _Kiss the one you fancy_ ”

 _No, I don’t think I will, thanks_ , said the other voice, a little more firmly.

“ _Kiss him!_ ”

 _Him? There’s no him_ Reasoned the voice in her head.

“ _Kiss him now!_ ” Then she felt the urge to kiss her friend Harry, who was pointed by Moody’s wand.

The next thing Hermione felt was considerable pain. She had both walked to him and tried to prevent herself from doing it, the result was that she’d smashed into the desk knocking it over.

“Now, that’s more like it!” Growled Moody’s voice and suddenly Hermione felt the empty echoing feeling in her head disappear. She remembered exactly what was happening, and the pain in her knees seemed to double.

“Look at that you lot… Granger fought! She fought it, and she damn near beat it! We’ll try that again Granger, and the rest of you, pay attention. Watch her eyes, that’s where you see it, very good Granger, very good indeed! They’ll have trouble controlling you!”

Later on Hermione confessed to her friends that she hadn’t fought it at all, she only reasoned that there was no one near her that she fancied, and getting to kiss Fleur was hardly what Moody had in mind for her.

“Well, now they’ve started the rumors about you and Harry” Said Ron

“What rumors would that be?” asked Hermione

“That you fancy him, Moody asked you to kiss the one you fancy, so now everyone thinks you fancy Harry” Said George coming from behind them.

“And that his the reason you have declined every invitation you’ve received” added Fred making Hermione blush.

“Invitations?” Asked Harry

“Oh, yes, our dearest Hermione has become quite popular” said George leaving the 4th years behind.

A week away from the arrival of the other schools delegations, there was an announcement that specified that they were to arrive on Friday October 30, at 6 o’clock, so lessons would end half an hour early, which thrilled a lot of Gryffindors because Fridays were Potions’ class.

“Only a week away!” Said Earnie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. “I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I’ll go and tell him…”

“Cedric?” said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off.

“Diggory” said Harry. “He must be entering the tournament”

“That idot, Hogwarts champion?” said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.

“He’s not an idiot. You just don’t like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch” said Hermione “I’ve heard he’s a really good student, and he’s a prefect”

She spoke as though this settled the matter

“You only like him because he’s handsome” said Ron scathingly

“Excuse me, I don’t like people just because they’re handsome!” said Hermione indignantly.

“So are you saying that your muggle girlfriend is ugly?” asked Ron.

When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House. Behind the teachers’ table, the largest banner of al bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger and snake united around a large letter H.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. Once again, and most unusually they were sitting apart form everyone else and conversing in low voices. Ron led the way over to them.

“It’s a bummer all right” George was saying gloomily to Fred. “But if he won’t talk to us in person, we’ll have to send him the letter after all. Or we’ll stuff it into his hand. He can’t avoid us forever”

“Who’s avoiding you?” said Ron sitting down next to them

“Wish you would” said Fred looking irritated at the interruption

“You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?” Harry asked “Thought any more about trying to enter?”

“I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn’t telling.” Said George bitterly. “She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon.”

“Wonder what the tasks are going to be?” said Ron thoughtfully. “You know, I bet we could do them Harry. We’ve done dangerous stuff before…”

“Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven’t” said Fred “McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they’ve done the tasks”

“Who are the judges?” Harry asked

“Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel” Said Hermione, and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised “because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on rampage”

She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, “It’s all in ‘ _Hogwarts, A History_ ’ Though, of course, that book’s not entirely reliable. ‘ _A Revised History of Hogwarts_ ’ would be more accurate title. Or ‘ _A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School_ ’.

“What are you on about?” said Ron, though Harry thought he knew what was coming.

“House-elves!” said Hermione, her eyes flashing “Not once, in over a thousand pages, does ‘ _Hogwarts, A History_ ’ mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!”

Harry shook his head and applied himself to his scrambled eggs. His and Ron’s lack of enthusiasm had done nothing whatsoever to curb Hermione’s determination to pursue justices for house-elves. She had been badgering Harry and Ron ever since they paid the two Sickles for their badges, first to wear them, then to persuade others to do the same, and she had also taken into rattling around the Gryffindor common room every evening, cornering people and shaking the collecting tin under their noses.

“You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?” she kept saying fiercely

Some people like Neville and Ginny, had paid up just to stop Hermione from glowering at them. But there was no one around them who actively used their badges, not even the ones who promptly paid to Hermione that first day. A few seemed mildly interested in what she had to say, but were reluctant to take a more active role in campaigning. Many regarded the whole thing as a joke.

Fred became extremely interested in his bacon, George however, leaned in toward Hermione.

“Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?”

“No, of course not” said Hermione curtly “I hardly think students are supposed to…”

“Well, we have” said George indicating Fred “loads of times, to nick food. And we’ve met them, and they’re happy. They think they’ve got the best job in the world…”

“That’s because they’re uneducated and brainwashed!” Hermione began hotly, but her next few words were drowned out by the sudden whooshing noise from overhead, which announced the arrival of the post owls.

While Harry read Sirius letter, Fred leaned into Hermione.

“So, what did you do?” asked Fred

“What do you mean?” said Hermione

“Snape, he’s staring at you, again. So what did you do?” said Fred curiously.

“I though I was going looney… he’s been staring lately, but I have done nothing to cause that” said Hermione.

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into line. They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening, dusk was falling and a pale, transparent looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry was standing between Ron and Hermione.

“Nearly six” said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. “How d’you reckon they’re coming? The train?”

“I doubt it” said Hermione

“How then? Broomsticks?” Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

“I don’t think so… not from that far away…”

“A portkey?” Ron suggested “Or they could Apparate, maybe you’re allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?”

“You can’t Apparate inside Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?” said Hermione impatiently

They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving, everything was still, silent and quite as usual. Hermione was starting to feel cold. She wished they’d hurry up… Maybe the foreign students were preparing a dramatic entrance.

Then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers.

“Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, de delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!”

“Where?” said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

“There!” yelled a sixth year pointing over the forest.

Something large, much larger than a broomstick, or indeed a hundred broomsticks, was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger al the time.

A gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they say a gigantic powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

Hermione just had time to see that he door of the carriage bore a coat of arms; two crossed golden wands, each emitting three stars; before it opened.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Hermione saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage, a shoe the size of child’s sled by the way, followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

Dumbledore started to clap, the students following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe.

The face of the woman relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend himself to kiss it.

“My dear Madame Maxime” he said “Welcome to Hogwarts”

“Dumbly-dorr” said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. “I ‘ope I find you well”

Hermione noticed the accent, it was French and she began to feel not only annoyed but uneasy at this.

“In excellent form, thank you” said Dumbledore

“My pupils” said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

Hermione, whose attention had been focused upon Madame Maxime, now noticed about a dozen boys and girls, al, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads.

“’As Karkaroff arrived yet?” asked Madame Maxime

“He should be here any moment” said Dumbledore “Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?”

“Warm up, I think” said Madame Maxime “But ze ‘horses…”

“Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them” said Dumbledore “the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that was arisen with some of his other, er… charges”

“Skrewts” Ron muttered to Harry and Hermione, grinning.

“My steeds require… forceful ‘andling” said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. “Zey are very strong…”

“I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job” said Dumbledore

“Very well” said Madame Maxime bowing slightly “Will you pleas inform zis ‘Agrid zat ze ‘orses drink only single-malt whiskey?”

“It will e attended to” said Dumbledore also bowing.

“Come” said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps. One of them, who’s only visible trait were the hazel blue eyes on her face, stared a moment at the crowd and for a second locked eyes with Hermione, who’s heart skipped a beat having the impression of having seen those before. ‘ _but it’s not possible_ ’ she thought to herself

“How big d’you reckon Durmstrang’s horses are going to be?” Seamus Finnigan said, leaning around Lavender and Parvati to address Harry and Ron.

“Well, if they’re any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won’t be able to handle them” said Harry “That’s if he hasn’t been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what’s up with them?”

“Maybe they’ve escaped” said Ron hopefully

“Oh don’t say that” said Hermione recovering from the shock “Imagine that lot loose on the grounds…” she said with a shudder.

They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully at the sky.

The Durmstrang party arrived in a ship through the lake. Viktor Krum was part of the party and girls, as well as boys gaped at him with recognition.


	3. Yet Another Bet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bare in mind that I own neither Harry Potter nor its characters, so if you recognize any of them, THEY’RE NOT MINE. I only own the idea of making Hermione a half-breed veela.

**_Chapter 02_ **

**_Yet another bet?_ **

“I don’t believe it!” Ron said, in a stunned voice as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. “Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!”

“For heaven’s sake, Ron, he’s only a Quidditch player” said Hermione

“Only a Quidditch player?” Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn’t believe his ears “Hermione, he’s one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!”

As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hal, Hermione saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum’s head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked.

“Oh I don’t believe it, I haven’t got a single quill on me..”

“D’you think he’d sign my hat in lipstick?”

“Really!” Hermione said loftily as they passed the girls, now squabbling over the lipstick

“I’m getting his autograph if I can” said Ron “You haven’t got a quill, have you Harry?”

They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron rook care to sit on the side facing the doorway because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table, next to theirs. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.

“It’s not that cold” said Hermione defensively “Why didn’t they bring cloaks?”

“Over here! Come and sit over here!” Ron hissed “Over here! Hermione, budge up and make a space…”

“What?”

“Too late” said Ron bitterly

Krum and his fellow students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table. Harry could see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle looking very smug about this. As he watched, Malfoy bent forward to speak to Krum.

“Yeah, that’s right, smarm up to him, Malfoy” said Ron scathingly “I bet Krum can see right through him, though… bet he gets people fawning over him all the time… Where d’you reckon they’re going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry… I wouldn’t mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp bed”

Hermione snorted.

“They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot” said Harry

The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed.

Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs.

“But there are only two extra people” Harry said “Why’s Filch putting out four chairs, who else is coming?”

When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Las in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the students from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed, the Beauxbatons party appeared unembarrassed and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore’s left side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and most particularly, guests” said Dumbledore beaming around at the foreign students. “I have great pleasure in welcoming all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable”

One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a laugh.

“No one’s making you stay!” Hermione whispered bristling at her, noticing that was the same girl with whom she had locked eyes at the castle gates.

“The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast.” Said Dumbledore “I now invite you all to eat, drink and make yourselves at home!”

He sat down, and Hermione say Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation. Snape was staring at her again, but intervened once in a while in whatever was said around him.

The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of the than Hermione had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep bloodred.

Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand.

“What’s that?” said Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.

“Bouillabaisse” said Hermione

“Bless you” Said Ron

“It’s French” said Hermione annoyed “I had it on holiday summer. It’s very nice”

“Oh, I’m glad ‘ou at least liked somezing about me” Someone whispered behind Hermione, and only she could hear it.

It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore’s speech. She had finally removed her muffles. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large deep blue eyes and very white even teeth.

Rond went purple. He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out except for a faint gurgling noise.

“Are ‘ou wanting the bouillabaisse?” She asked to the brunette who hadn’t turned around to face her.

Hermione knew who she was, she had recognized not only the voice, but the feeling of annoyance that came along with her, she was just trying to suppress it, not believing it could be her here at Hogwarts.

“Yeah, have it” said Harry pushing the dish toward the girl

“You ‘ave finished wiz it?”

“Yeah” Ron said breathlessly “Yeah, it was excellent”

“And ‘ou Miss?” She asked pointedly at Hermione, who refused to look up, but nodded her head. “Excellent. I’ll see ‘ou around”

The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before. Harry started to laugh. The sound seemed to jog Ron back to his senses.

“She’s a veela!” he said hoarsely to Harry and Hermione

“Of course she isn’t” said Hermione angrily “I don’t see anyone else gaping at her like and idiot!”

But she wasn’t entirely right about that. As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys’ heads turned and some of them seem to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron. This made Hermione’s blood to boil, she was mad. Not only had this girl stolen her book, she had lied to her, and led her to believe she was not only a muggle, but someone interested in her. She shoulda known better than to trust a gorgeous stranger.

“I’m telling you, that’s not a normal girl!” said Ron leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. “They don’t make them like that at Hogwarts!”

“They make them okay at Hogwarts” said Harry without thinking. Ginny was coming back and passed by the girl with silvery hair.

“When you’ve both put your eyes back in” said Hermione briskly “you’ll be able to see who’s just arrived”

She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff’s other side, while Mr. Crouch, Percy’s boss, was next to Madame Maxime.

“What are they doing here?” said Harry in surprise

“They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn’t they?” said Hermione “I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start.”

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean. Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Even Hermione felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. Several seats down from hem, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.

“The moment has come” said Dumbledore smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. “The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket…”

“The what?” Harry muttered. Ron shrugged.

“…just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year…”

Dumbledore presented the jury, consisting in the two newly arrivals and the headmasters and headmistress of the three schools, he also pointed out that no one under 17 years would be allowed to submit their name into the Goblet, which was to be the impartial judge. The competitors had to write down their name and the school they belonged to, in a piece of parchment and then toss it into the Goblet of Fire.

“Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete… Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all.”

Hermione sat up and hurried to a rest room, to the rest room no one went because of the poltergeist there. She did not realize that she was closely followed by a blond who wanted nothing more than to have a word with her.

When she got there, she was glad that Myrtle was no where to be seen.

“Myrtle?” Whispered Hermione not wanting to bring her there if she wasn’t around, but not wanting to take the chance of her being there. When she made sure that she was not in any of the stalls, she hugged herself in the farthest from the door and began to cry. She couldn’t help it, she was hurt.

She didn’t notice when someone entered the restroom and approached the stall she was in, until soft white hands cupped her cheeks, her vision was fogged but she knew immediately who it was, so she cried harder.

“W’y are ‘ou cryin mon ange?” Whispered Fleur.

“You should know” retorted Hermione trying to get away from her.

“Non, I do not. But I do know zat ‘ou owe me ‘our name now. I won a bet” said the blond cheerfully.

“As if you hadn’t asked for it already in the Great Hall” said Hermione still crying.

“Oui I did, but I do want you to tell me”

“Why?” whispered Hermione

“For someone as smart as zey all say, ‘ou can be quite dense and stubborn” Hermione had to laugh at that, she certainly was stubborn, no arguing there. “Please” added Fleur in a pleading tone.

“Where is my book?” Asked Hermione noticing that her face was still in Fleur’s hands.

Fleur smiled at Hermione and helped her up to her feet.

“It eezz safe. And so will ‘ou”

“Why are you doing this?” asked Hermione

“I really, really, like ‘ou”

“Hmmp” grumped Hermione “You lied to me, and you cheated your way into that bet of yours miss Delacour!”

“I only wanted ‘our name, not a lifetime commitment… yet” She smirked

“What!?” Hermione was dumbfounded. When Fleur lowered her gaze, she found the chance to flee. But was stopped a few steps from the door by a cool hand on her wrist.

“’ust give my your name” pleaded Fleur “It means nozing to me if it does not come from ‘our lips”

Hermione stood there, thinking about it. It was just a name, what harm could it do? Besides, she already knows it, right? So why keep it as if it was a secret.

“Hermione. My name is Hermione”

Fleur smiled happily and lunged forward the brunette enveloping her in a tight hug.

“’Ermione…. Would ‘ou go out on a date wiz me?” asked Fleur

“Now I know you’re looney” said Hermione stepping back. “What kind of prank are you pulling on me?”

“No prank mon ange” began Fleur “Now I want to get to know ‘ou better, and a date eeez ze best way to do zat”

Hermione blushed at that, it made sense, but she was still annoyed at being lied and just because of her mere presences, which was not as annoying as during summer.

“You’re not lucky enough” said Hermione

“Zen, lets make a bet… One w’ere I don’t ‘ave control over ze results” Said Fleur. “I’ll be ze Beauxbatons champions for ze Triwizard Tournament”

“What! No no no, you’re not submitting your name into the goblet. It’s dangerous, people had died because of that!”

“Eezz it worry for me I ‘ear in ‘our voice mon ange?” Hermione blushed and Fleur smirked at that.

“Of course not” said Hermione

“Zen lets make ze bet. If I am chosen champion, ‘ou’ll go on a date wiz me. If I don’t, zen I’ll go on a date wiz you”

“Uh Uh, I’m not falling for that, who do you take me for?” Asked Hermione outraged.

“Fine, if I don’t make champion, then I won’t ask ‘ou out again”

“Will you keep your end of the deal?” asked Hermione

“Will ‘ou ‘Ermione?”

Hermione pondered at that, what were the odds of her being chosen champion, she was smart, true, but she didn’t look quite strong or powerfull.

“Fine. You have a deal” Hermione extender her right hand to the blond

Fleur smirked when her hand clasped Hermione’s, it was electrifying and she knew then that she was right all along. She was her chosen.

As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they went down into the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

“Anyone put their name in yet” Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly

“All the Durmstrang lot” she replied “But I haven’t seen anyone from Hogwarts yet”

Hermione noticed that Fred and George were eager to try their aging potion and put their names into the goblet

“I’m not sure this is going to work you know” she said warningly “I’m sure Dumbledore will have thought of this”

The twins ignored her and as a result there was a loud sizzling sound and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to the injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

“I did warn you” said Hermione going into the Great Hall for breakfast.

A few minutes later people were cheering out in the entrance hall. They all swiveled around in their seats and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall. “Well, I’ve done it!” she said “I just put my name in!”

“You’re kidding!” said Ron looking impressed

“Are you seventeen then?” asked Harry

“’Course she is, can’t se a beard can you?” said Ron

“I had my birthday last week” said Angelina

“Well, I’m glad someone from Gryffindor’s entering” said Hermione “I really home you get it, Angelina!”

“Thanks Hermione” said Angelina smiling at her

“Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy-Diggory” said Ron, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him

“What’re we going to do today, then?” Ron asked Harry and Hermione when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall.

“We haven’t been down to visit Hagrid yed” said Harry

The students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the veela-girl. Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.

Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. Fleur at the end of it, stood right beside Hermione and winked at her.

“I’ve just realized” began Hermione nervously “I haven’t asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!” she said brightly noticing that Fleur was moving forward. “Wait for me, will you, While I nip upstairs and get the badges”

One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks. When all of them had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and out onto the grounds again.

A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione’s reappearance with the box of S.P.E.W. badges. She stumbled and was about to hit the ground when a pair of slender arms held her in place. She looked up to see Fleur gazing at her.

“Are ‘ou all right ‘Ermione?” She asked concerned

Hermione nodded and leaned down to pick up the box with the badges. “Yeah, thanks”

“Spew?” Asked Fleur reading the labels in the badges

Harry giggled at that, it was confusing. Ron was purple again, unable to make any coherent commentary.

“It’s S.P.E.W.” Said Hermione standing up. “Stands for Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare”

“Never ‘eard of it”

“No you wouldn’t” Intervened Harry “Hermione here is it’s founder”

“Eeez zat so?”asked Fleur amused. Hermione blushed

“Yes, our purpose is not to take them out of their jobs, but for them to get paid for it. Get holidays and sick leave”

She began to explain the activities of the S.P.E.W to Fleur as they both, followed by Harry and Ron, who was being dragged by the dark haired boy, walked to the grounds towards Hagrid’s hut. As they neared Hagrid’s cabin near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, they noticed the gigantic powder-blue carriage in which the Beauxbatons students had arrived, parked two hundred yards from Hagrid’s front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. Fleur doubted if she should climb too or hang out with Hermione, now that she seemed a little more relaxed around her.

“Mind if I ‘oin ‘ou a little longer ‘Ermione?” Hermione shook her head which made Fleur smile

Harry knocked on Hagrid’s door and Fan’s coming barks answered instantly.

“’Bout time!” said Hagrid when he’d flung open the door. “Thought you lot’d forgotten where I live!”

“We’ve been really busy Hag…” Hermione started to say but then she stopped dead looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.

Hagrid was wearing his best, and very horrible, hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. He had evidently tried to tame his hair using large quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. Hermione goggled at him, then, deciding not to comment she said. “We brought a friend with us… she is from the Beauxbatons lot… Hagrid, Fleur, Fleur, Hagrid”

“Nice t’meet ya” said Hagrid

“Ze pleasure eezz mine Monseiur ‘Agrid”

“Fleur?” Asked Harry “As in Fleur Delacour? The book thieve?”

“Pardon me Monsieur Potter, I did not such zing as stealing a book! I merely borrowed it” She said triumphantly knowing that Hermione had told her friends about her.

“Erm… where are the skrewts?” Asked Hermione trying to avoid that conversation

“Out by the pumpkin patch” said Hagrid happily “They’re gettin’ massive, mus’ be nearly three foot long now. On’y trouble is, they’ve started killin’each other”

“Oh no, really” said Hermione shooting a repressive look at Ron who had just opened his mouth to say something about it.

“Yeah” said Hagrid sadly “’S’okay, though, I’ve got ‘em in separate boxes now. Still got abou’ twenty”

“Well, that’s lucky” managed to say Ron. Hagrid missed the sarcasm.

They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn’t eat much, Hagrid had meade what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, she, Harry, Ron and Fleur rather lost their appetites. However they enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the Tournament were going to be.

“I don’t want ter spoil it fer yeh” said Hagrid “But it’s gonna be spectacular, I’ll tell yeh that. Them champions’re going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I’d live ter see it played again!”

Ron couldn’t help to stare at Fleur which annoyed Hermione a lot, Harry noticed that and remembered that Hermione had created a diversion.

“So, you’re not muggle Fleur” He said briskly.

“I think that is quite obvious by now Harry” said Hermione annoyed

“Well, you said she was muggle” Harry defended himself

“Again, I know what I said, thank you very much” she said lowering her gaze

“I did not tel ‘er zat I am a witch Monseiur Potter, I kept it from ‘er”

“Why?” asked Harry

“I ‘ad a bet to win” she said simply making Hermione blush.

Hermione decided to tell Hagrid about S.P.E.W in that moment. Hagrid was not as enthusiastic about it as she hoped.

“It’d be doin’ ‘em an unkindness, Hermione” he said gravely.

After a heated discussion, that only managed to amuse Fleur, Hermione looked very cross and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.

By half past five it was growing dark, and Ron, Harry, Fleur and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast, and more important, the announcement of the school champions.

“I’ll come with yeh” said Hagrid “Jus’ give me a sec” Hagrid got up, went across the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside.

Fleur leaned into Hermione and whispered into her ear. “Care to make anozer bet?” she said nodding her head towards Hagrid. Hermione nodded her head in order to know what was that about. A truly horrible smell reached their nostrils.

“’E likes someone. Madame Maxime”

“Get real!” said Hermione

“If I’m right, ‘Ou’ll seat wiz me tonight during ze feast” Fleur whispered “If not, we don’t ‘ave to go on a date”

“You don’t even know if you won that bet yet” Said Hermione

“Take it or leave it ‘Ermione” said Fleur offering her right hand to Hermione

“You’re on” said the brunette taking her hand

“Hagrid, what’s that?” asked Ron when he came back

“Eh? Said Hagrid,, turning around in a slightly choked voice. “Er… eu the cologne” Hagrid muttered, He was blushing “Maybe it’s a bit much” he said gruffly “I’ll go take it off, hang on…”

He stumped out of the cabin and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.

“Eau de cologne?” said Harry in amazement “Hagrid?”

“And what’s with the hair and the suit?” asked Ron in an undertone

Fleur smirked as realization hit Hermione.

Hagrid had just straightened up and turned ‘round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. Getting to their feet, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Fleur peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the rest of the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too. They couldn’t hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression. Hermione had only ever seen him wear once before, when he had been looking ate the baby dragon, Norbert.

“He’s going up to the castle with her!” said Hermione indignantly “I thought he was waiting for us!”

Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.

“He fancies her!” said Ron incredulously. Hermione grunted and Fleur smirked once again “Well, if they end up having children, they’ll be setting a world record, bet any baby of theirs would weigh abut a ton”

They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns.

When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore’s empty chair at the teachers’ table. Fred and George seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well

“Hope it’s Angelina” said Fred as Harry and Ron sat down.

“So do I!” said Hermione breathlessly. “Well, we’ll soon know!” she said heading off with Fleur to the Ravenclaw table.

Fleur sensed the stress in Hermione and the odd looks they were both receiving from the other students, some of the Ravenclaws even showed hostility toward her when she sat down at their table. Fleur decided to do something about it, she was used to people staring, and even when she knew Hermione was gorgeous, she wasn’t.

“Per’aphs we ought to sit at ‘our table, wiz ze Gryffindors” she whispered to Hermione who nodded.

“Thanks” she said as they stood up and went to the Gryffindor table.

Snape and Dumbledore, as well as Madame Maxime were staring and smirking at that action. Hermione noticed Snape smirking and couldn’t help the shivers that ran down her spine.

“What was that?” asked Ginny once Fleur and Hermione were seated.

“I lost a bet” said Hermione simply

“Actually, it’s two bets now, and I’m aiming for ‘zree” Said Fleur helping herself something to eat.


	4. This does not qualify as a date

**_Chapter 04_ **

**_This does not qualify as a date_ **

The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual, perhaps because it was their second feast in two days. Hermione didn’t seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as she would normally have. Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting, and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Hermione simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

On one side, she was terrified that Fleur was chosen champion for Beauxbatons, the tasks were certainly going to be dangerous, even for a somewhat controlled situation. On the other hand, she was thrilled that she may have to go on a date with her, she was not ready to accept that out loud, but she wanted to know Fleur, the comment Ron made about her being veela, and the gaping Fleur get by almost every male student in Hogwarts and a few of the female population, was making her not only jealous, but also angry and wary, was she attracted to Fleur for her veela blood too? She decided to go to the library tonight and search all she could on veelas.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Mr. Crouch, however looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

“Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision” said Dumbledore “I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions’ names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber” he indicated the door behind the staff table “where they will be receiving their first instructions”

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it, at once all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall; every one watched, waited… a few people kept checking their watches.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it, the whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm’s length, so that he could read it by the lighting of the flames which had turned back to blue-white again.

“The champion for Durmstrang” he read in a strong, clear voice “will be Viktor Krum”

“No surprises there!” yelled Ron as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Hermione say Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone’s attention was focused again on the goblet, which seconds later turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

“The champion for Beauxbatons” said Dumbledore while Hermione’s hand kept hold of Fleur’s. “is Fleur Delacour!”

“It’s you!” shouted Harry to Fleur who was smirking at Hermione.

“It eezz now sreee out of zree” she said to Hermione as she gracefully got to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables.

“Oh look, they’re all disappointed” Ginny said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.

“Disappointed” was a bit of an understatement, Hermione thought. Two of the girls sho had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

When Fleur too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff which excitement you could almost taste. The Hogwarts champion was next…

And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

“The Hogwarts champion” he called “is Cedric Diggory!”

“No!” said Ron loudly but nobody heard him; the uproar from the Hufflepuff table was too great, every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers’ table.

“Excellent!” Dumbledore called happily as the tumult died down, but he suddenly stopped speaking, apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

The fire in the Goblet had just turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at him. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat an read out

“Harry Potter”

Harry sat there, aware that every head in the Great Hall had turned to look at him. He was stunned.

There was no applause, a buzzing as though of angry bees was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Harry as he sat, frozen in his seat.

Up at the top table, Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione; beyond them he saw the long Gryffindor table all watching him openmouthed.

“I didn’t put my name in” Harry said blankly “You know I didn’t” Both of them stared just as blankly back.

At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

“Harry Potter!” He called again “Harry! Up here, if you please!”

Harry got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. He set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables.

“Well… through the door, Harry” said Dumbledore, he wasn’t smiling.

Harry moved off along the teachers’ table. Hagrid looked completely astonished and stared at Harry as he passed like everyone else. Harry went through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room.

Professor Dumbledore sent everyone in the Great Hall to their common rooms. Hermione stood up uneasy about everything had happened and decided to leave her visit to the library for another day. She was walking between Fred and George out of the Great Hall when she glanced back to the teachers’ table… Snape had gotten up and was to go into the back room when he noticed her staring back, then he sent her a reassuring smile, which only managed to make her more nervous. Fred and George saw that too and were starting to get worried about it, Snape was not his usual self, they’ve even noticed that the potions master hadn’t take as most points from the Gryffindors as other years.

When Hermione woke up on Sunday morning, it took her a moment to remember what had happened. Since she was up earlier than usual she decided to go to library as she had originally intended the night before.

Once there she noticed Madame Pince on her usual stool and headed for her quest. She was to find out everything she could about veelas, whether Fleur was one or not, that had to be proven first. She only found one book that explained openly about veelas, and not just some mention about them. She decided to take that book back to the Gryffindor tower, noticing that not only Joe Smith, but also Viktor Krum were roaming through the library aisles.

She made a stop by for a quick breakfast at the Great Hall where she could see that not many people were up yet. She decided to bring a snack to Harry, who was probably being miserable right now. He sure had bad luck, and Hermione thought that maybe Professor Trelawney’s predictions were not so far from reality. When she walked over to the portrait hole, she found herself face to face with Harry.

“Hello” she said holding up a stack of toasts, which she was carrying in a napkin “I brought you this… Want to go for a walk?”

“Good idea” said Harry gratefully

They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and they kept moving, munching their toasts, as Harry told Hermione exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. To his immense relief, Hermione accepted his story question. Neither of them noticed that a blond girl was close by, behind a huge tree and that was listening intently at them. Said blond just wanted to make sure that her Chosen rumors about her fancying Potter, weren’t true.

“Well, of course I knew you hadn’t entered yourself” she said when he’d finished retelling her about the scene in the chamber of the Hall. “The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody’s right, Harry… I don’t think any student could have done it… they’d never be able to fool the goblet or get over Dumbledore’s… SNAPE!”

“You seriously think it was him? I know he hates me but isn’t it going a bit to far?” asked Harry

“He’s being acting weird lately. Staring at me all the time, and last night when we were leaving the Great Hall, he smiled at me!”

“Snape knows hot to smile? That must be a creepy sight” said Harry thinking about it

“Oh it was” said Hermione. “But, being realistic I don’t think he would, but maybe he knows something about it…”

“Have you seen Ron?” Harry interrupted. Hermione hesitated

“Yes… he was having breakfast when I left the Great Hall”

“Does he still think I entered myself?”

“Well, no. I don’t think so… not really” said Hermione awkwardly

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh Harry, isn’t it obvious?” Hermione said despairingly “He’s jealous!”

“Jealous?” Harry said incredulously “Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself infront of the whole school, does he?”

“Look” said Hermione patiently “It’s always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it’s not your fault” she added quickly. “I know you don’t ask for it… but, well, you know, Ron’s got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you’re his best friend, and you’re really famous; he’s always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many…”

“Great” said Harry bitterly “Really great. “Tell him from me I’ll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he’s welcome to it...”

“I’m not telling him anything” Hermione said shortly “Tell him yourself. It’s the only way to sort this out.”

“I’m not running around after him trying to make him grow up!” said Harry so loudly that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm “Maybe he’ll believe I’m not enjoying myself once I’ve got my neck broken or…”

“That’s not funny!” said Hermione “That’s not funny at all” She looked extremely anxious. She was worrying not only over Harry, but over Fleur too, and she couldn’t keep herself from doing that. “Harry, I’ve been thinking….you know what we’ve got to do, don’t’ you? Straight away, the moment to get back to the castle?”

“Yeah, give Ron a good kick up the…”

“Write to Sirius” Hermione cut in. “You’ve got to tell him what’s happened. He asked you to him posted on everything that’s going on at Hogwarts… It’s almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me…” Of course it wasn’t meant to be for a letter, but for research notes, though she was not going to tell that to his friend.

“Come off it” said Harry looking around to check that they couldn’t be overheard, not knowing of the blond hiding behind a tree. “He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He’ll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone’s entered me in the Triwizard Tournament…”

“He’d want you to tell him” said Hermione sternly “He’s going to find out anyway…”

“How?”

“Harry, this isn’t going to be kept quiet” said Hermione very seriously “this tournament’s famous, and you’re famous. I’ll be really surprised if the isn’t anything in the _Daily Prophet_ about you competing… You’re already in half the books about You-Know-Who, you know… and Sirius would rather hear it from you, I know he would”

“Okay, okay. I’ll write to him” said Harry, throwing his last piece of toast into the lake. They both stood and watched it floating there for a moment before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. They Harry wrote his letter.

_Dear Sirius:_

_You told me to keep you posted on what’s happening at Hogwarts, so here goes…_

_I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Triwizard Tournament’s happening this year_

_And on Saturday night I got picked up as a fourth champion._

_I don’t know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn’t_

_The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff_

_The Durmstrang champion is Quidditch player, Viktor Krum_

_And you won’t believe who Beauxbaton’s champion is…_

_It turns out that Hermione’s muggle girlfriend’s not muggle at all,_

_Fleur Delacour is Beauxbaton’s champion, Ron thinks she’s veela._

_Oh, and Ron’s not speaking to me by the way, he thinks I put my name into the goblet_

He paused a moment there, to let Hermione catch up to what he was writing to his Godfather.

“Not my girlfriend!” Hermione groaned.

Harry resumed to his letter, he wanted to tell so much more but he couldn’t think how to translate his feelings into words.

_Hope you’re okay, and Buckbeack too._

**_ HARRY _ **

“Whose owl am I going to use?” asked Harry as they returned to the castle. “He told me not to use Hedwig again”

“Ask Ron if you can borrow…”

“I’m not asking Ron for anything” Harry said flatly

“Well, borrow one of the school owls then, anyone can use them” said Hermione

In that moment someone stepped in front of them. Hermione knew immediately who it was since she couldn’t stop the smile that crept to her face.

“Good morning” Said Fleur to them both

“Morning Fleur” Said Harry

“I ‘ust over’eard ‘ou need an owl. If ‘ou ‘ant, ‘ou can use mine” Said Fleur

And so they did, they went up to the Owlery and Hedwig came fluttering down onto Harry’s shoulder and held out her leg.

“I can’t use you” Harry told her, looking around for Fleur’s owl. Hedwig gave a very loud hoot off so suddenly that here talons cut into his shoulder. She kept her back to Harry all the time he was tying his letter to the leg of a large barn owl. When the barn owl had flown off, Harry reached out to stroke Hedwig but she clicked her beak furiously and soared up into the rafters out of reach.

“First Ron, then you” said Harry angrily “This isn’t my fault!”

“Well, you still have around” said Hermione, failing to notice the dark look that crossed Fleur’s beautiful face.

“W’y eeezz it Monseiur Potter, zat ‘ou can’t use ‘our own owl?” She asked curiously. Harry paled

“Because she was out for too long, she is tired and it was important to get that message out” Said Hermione trying to control her nerves.

“W’at was on ze message?” Asked Fleur not buying her story

“I was informing Mrs. Weasley about what had happened. I didn’t asked to be part of the Triwizard Tournament”

“Mrs. Weasley?” asked Fleur “W’y her?”

“She had us over the summer at her place. We are very fond of her” Said Hermione.

“Oh, so ‘ou changed me for ze Weasleys?” said Fleur in mock irritation, deciding to let it pass for now and not press Hermione about this Sirius person.

Hermione and Fleur spent the rest of the day together, just getting to know each other. Hermione learned that Fleur had a little sister named Gabrielle, and that it was obvious how much she meant to the blond. Fleur on her side learned that Hermione was a muggle borned (though she already knew that) and that her parents were dentists, she learned that day too, what dentists were.

Fleur liked to spend time with muggles, specially muggle children, they were so captivating and quite smart, she thought highly of their intelligence, and assured Hermione that if the adults, even the witches and wizards, kept their minds as open as children, then life would be much better, and there would not exist Dark Lords as He-who-must-not-be-named.

At the end of the night, Fleur escorted Hermione to the Gryffindor Tower and at the Fat Lady’s portrait she wished her a goodnight.

“So I guess I’m off the hook now?” Said Hermione not knowing if she was glad or disappointed, she sure thought of this as a date, a really long date.

“Oh non mon ange” began Fleur “Zis does not qualify as a date”

“How come?” Asked Hermione

“None of zis was planned. We didn’t have a romantic dinner or meal. And I didn’t get ze goodnight kiss” She said smirking

“Goodnight kiss?” Asked Hermione blushing

Seeing this as a chance, Fleur leaned in and gave a quick peck on Hermione’s lips.

“Still not countin’ as a date mon ange” she said while walking down the stairs, leaving a stunned Hermione and a smirking Fat Lady.

A few steps on the side, over the corridor, stood a dark figure with greasy hair, smirking too.

Hermione went into the Gryffindor common room and looked for Ginny, she had to tell someone about today’s events.


	5. Is it the thrall?

**_Chapter 05_ **

**_Is it the thrall?_ **

Hermione had made her research about veelas and discovered that there was something referred as ‘ _the thrall_ ’, which consisted in attracting people, mainly from the opposite sex, to them; the book also mentioned something about it being people about their age, with a 5 year difference at tops. She didn’t know yet if Fleur was veela or not, but she was getting worried about it, people around her seemed to be drawn into her like she was, so if they all were acting that way because of the thrall, even Ron who lost his coherence when ever Fleur was around, was she herself attracted to her by that same reason?

That’s why she decided to put as much distance between them as possible, of course it was easier said than done.

The next few days were chaotic for Hermione, she was often asked out by some of the older students so she tried to avoid crowded places which fortunately also meant to avoid Fleur. Fred and George had taken a protective care for Hermione and when Harry was not around, they escorted her through the day, now Ron was with them too but failed to notice that even some guys blushed when Hermione was around, he didn’t pay attention to what was happening.

Fred told his twin once that Krum was always around Hermione, and that he heard a rumor about the Durmstrang boy always going into the library, neither of the twins had come to terms with being in there, they waited for her to finish or simply let her be there, not many people went up there so they thought it would be a safe place for their friend.

Fleur had also managed to notice some changes around Hermione, she was getting anxious about it, people began to notice how beautiful her Chosen really was, and many of them even had the guts to try and ask her out, specially the Hufflepuff guy that was always in the library. Fleur didn’t understand why Hermione was avoiding her, it didn’t make sense and it was obvious she was doing it so she too headed to the library almost everyday to try and talk to her; unfortunately she always seemed in a hurry.

So one day after lunch, when Harry had come to look for Hermione’s help and therefore conveniently interrupting their chat, Fleur decided that she needed extreme measures to accomplish what she wanted. That same day, she walked Harry and Hermione to the dungeon for their Double Potions class.

When they arrived at Snape’s dungeon, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. For a wild moment Fleur thought they were S.P.E.W badges, which were being bought more often but yet were to be used; then she saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage: SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY, THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

 _It makes sense_ , she thought, the Slytherins and the Gryffindors were eternal rivals, so why not take all this as a chance to shake Gryffindors morale.

“Like them, Potter?” said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached. “And this isn’t all they do, look” He pressed his badge into his chest and the message upon it vanished to be replaced by another one, which glowed in green: POTTER STINKS

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too until the message was shining brightly all around Harry.

“Oh very funny” Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson who was eyeing her enviously, and her gang of Slytherin girls who were laughing harder than anyone. Mainly because most of the boys were gaping either at Fleur or Hermione. “Really witty”

Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus, he wasn’t laughing but he wasn’t sticking up for Harry either.

“You should choose better the people you relate with, Miss Delacour” said Pansy annoyed, and Malfoy grinned

“Want one?” said Malfoy holding out a badge to Hermione. “I’ve got loads. But don’t touch my hand now. I’ve just washed it, you see; don’t want a Mudblood sliming it up”

Fleur was angry at the young Slytherin, how dare he to insult her Chosen that way? But before she had a chance to react, Harry had reached for his wand and pointed it to Malfoy. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

“Harry!” Hermione said warningly, and Fleur’s heart sank.

“Go on then, Potter” Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand “Moody’s not here to look after you now, do it, if you’ve got the guts”

For a split second they looked into each other’s eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

“Furnunculus!” Harry yelled

“Densaugeo!” screamed Malfoy

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair and ricocheted off at different angles. Harry’s hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy’s hit Hermione who whimpered in panic and clutched her mouth.

“’Ermione!” Fleur leaned down to her, glaring angrily at Malfoy for his stupidity

“Hermione!” Ron had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her.

Fleur turned back and saw Ron dragging Hermione’s hand away from her face. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Hermione’s front teeth were now growing at an alarming rate, she was looking more an more like a beaver as her teeth elongated past her bottom lip, toward her chin. Panic stricken, Hermione felt them and let out a terrified cry.

Fleur took out her wand and pointed it to Malfoy, remembering the earlier confrontation between him and Potter in which Moody had intervened; she decided to turn him back into a ferret.

“Professor Moody mig’t not be ‘ere, but I am.” She said as she used her wand to levitate ferret Malfoy and stamp him repeatedly into the nearest wall. “’Ow dare ‘ou do such zing?” She said, her voice made evident she was angry. “And to call ‘er suc’ ‘orrible names?” Tears began to for in her eyes, but she refused to let them go “I’ve seen ‘ow ‘ou stare, ‘ou ‘ypocrit ferret!”

“And what is all this noise about?” said a soft deadly voice behind them

Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations and when he understood that the rodent in his dungeon was Malfoy, he returned him to normalcy. Fleur already at Hermione’s side again.

Slytherins and Gryffindors all tried to speak at the same time to tell what had happened and prevent them from Snape’s wrath. Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, “Explain”

“Potter attacked me, sir…”

“We attacked each other at the same time!” Harry shouted

“… and he hit Goyle, look… then she attacked me, sir” He said pointing to Fleur who snarled at him.

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book of poisonous fungi.

“Hospital wing, Goyle” Snape said calmly.

“Malfoy got Hermione!” Ron said “Look!”

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth that had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles pointing at Hermione from behind Snape’s back.

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said “I see no difference”

Hermione let out a whimper, her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight. Fleur just stood there for a moment, glared at Snape and ran after Hermione.

Snape smirked at that, and only Neville noticed that, because at that moment, both Harry and Ron started shouting at their teacher at the same time; luckily their voices echoed so much in the stone corridor that it was impossible to hear exactly what they were calling him. Snape got the gist, however

“Let’s see” he said, in his silkiest voice. “Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside or it’ll be a week’s worth of detentions”

Fleur had managed to catch up to Hermione around the corner leading to the Hospital wing, she was hugging tightly the girl that wouldn’t stop crying, not even with all the reassurance words that Fleur managed to give her.

“Why?” muttered Hermione between sobs

“Zey’re stupid” said Fleur matter of factly

“Why ssss egrone ajtin ssssso weigggd lately?” Hermione had troubled forming words now, her teeth had stopped growing but they were causing her great trouble.

“’e can talk later mon ange” said Fleur with a smile “It eezzz hard to understand ’ou w’ile ‘ou cry” with her right hand she took Hermione’s left hand and began her journey again “Let’s take ‘ou to ze infirmary first”

Madame Pomfrey asked fleur for and explanation as to what had happened, when the blond was finished Madame Pomfrey smiled warmly to Hermione and began to cast a spell to reduce her teeth size.

“Just tell me to stop when they’re back to normal”

It was an extremely slow process and someone had come to search for Fleur, apparently this boy had to fetch all the Champions to a photo session for the Daily Prophet. This boy, Colin Creevey told her that he had already spoken to Potter and that he told her where she might be.

“I’ll zee ‘ou later ‘Ermione?” she asked worried. Hermione nodded her head.

Colin escorted her to a classroom far from all the others she had seen so far, inside she saw that she was the last to arrive. Most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room. Krum was standing moodily in a corner not talking to anybody while Cedric and Harry seemed to be in conversation.

Bagman suddenly spotted her and hurried everyone to take their places for the pictures. Madame Maxime eyed her from head to toes and gave her a disapproving look for being late, however when Fleur turned her back to her, a smirked came to her headmistress lips. They took group pictures, single pictures, couple pictures,; each champion with each one present there. Fleur was getting annoyed at Rita Skeeter and her Quick-Quotes-quill when a little old wizard with large, pale eyes, showed up.

“May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?” said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges’s table and talking to the champions. “He will be checking your wands to ensuere that they are in good condition before the tournament”

“Madmoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?” said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room

Fleur swept over to him and handed her wand.

“Hmmm” he said

He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.

“Yes” he said quietly “nine and a half inches… inflexible…rosewood… and containing… dear me!”

“An ‘air from ze ‘ead of a veela” said Fleur knowing that it was a rare trait “one of my grandmuzze’s” she explained.

“Yes” said Mr. Ollivander “yes, I’ve never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands… however, to each his own, and if this suits you…”

Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then the muttered “Orchideus!” and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

“Very well, very well, it’s in fine working order” said Mr. Ollivander scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand.

He then proceeded to check Diggory’s, Krum’s and finally Harry’s. All wands were in perfect shape.

“Thank you all” said Dumbledore standing up at he judges’ table. “You may go back to your lessons now… or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end.

Fleur had almost reached the main stair to go back to the Hospital wing when someone stopped her, she realized it was Harry, but it made her mad that he was actually touching her, so she glared at him.

Harry hesitated for a moment, he was lost in Fleur’s beauty, he couldn’t help it, luckily he didn’t get it as bad as Ron did when they were around the veela. Which reminded him why he had stopped her.

“Er… sorry, didn’t mean to stare” he apologized

“W’at do ‘ou need Monsieur Potter?”

“Are you going to see Hermione?” Fleur nodded irritated. She hadn’t had a chance to speak to Hermione since the day they spent together and a lot of guys were often around her “Er… does she knows?”

“W’at are ‘ou talkin’ about?” asked Fleru truly confused

“Er… you? Being veela?” She shook her head “Will you tell her?” asked Harry worried about his friend. After a moment Fleur nodded. “Fine, just don’t go breaking her heart. She’s an amazing person and I really care for her…”

He turned his back on her and didn’t notice that Fleur had hung her head. Then she whispered to herself. “I know she is” And then she went to the Hospital Wing.

She watched as Madame Pomfrey said Hermione could leave and lead her to the Weasley twins that were apparently waiting for her. Fleur’s blood boiled knowing that it was irrational to feel jealous about them, but couldn’t help it, they had a solid relationship with her Chosen, even if it was friendship, and she didn’t really know where Hermione and herself stood.

Fleur turned on her heels and began to walk in the opposite direction but was again stopped, this time by a soft hand on her wrist, she knew it was Hermione and realized that it didn’t bother her at all that she was touching her. She turned around to see a smiling Hermione, her teeth now to a normal size.

“Zey look smaller” whispered Fleur

“I know” said Hermione “Thank you for being there”

“I’ll always be ‘ere. I told ‘ou, ‘ou’d be zafe” she said smiling walking now to the Gryffindor Tower, not noticing that the Weasley’s weren’t with them anymore.

“Fleur?”

“Oui mon ange?”

“I’ve seen how people stare at you, and well… err… there are some rumors…” Fleur silenced her by putting her index on her lips.

“I know ze rumors, and zey’re truz.” Said Fleur as they reached the Fat Lady portrait

“You’re a veela” said Hermione. It was not a question anymore. Then rage filled her features. “You are a lying annoying bitch!” she began heatedly. “Is it because of your thrall?” she asked angry

“W’at?” asked Fleur

“Do not ‘what’ me veela girl! I like you because of your thrall, isn’t it, just like everyone else!” yelled Hermione turning around and going into the hole to the Gryffindor common room leaving Fleur behind.

“It eezz because of ze zrall zat ‘ou dislike me” whispered sadly Fleur turning around.

Fleur was walking through the corridors looking for Madame Maxime, she was the only one in whom she could trust right now, but she was so distracted that didn’t notice that she had walked into someone, and both fell on the floor.

This person helped her up and led her through some other corridors to the dungeons; just there Fleur realized who it was.

“Monsieur Snape!” she yelled “W’at eeezz ze meaning of zis?”

Snape just stood there, staring at her for a few seconds before he finally spoke. “Is Miss Granger your Chosen?” he asked smirking.


	6. The First Task

**_Chapter 06_ **

**_The First Task_ **

A few days after that, the Daily Prophet published an article by Rita Skeeter that supposedly was about the Triwizard Tournament champions, but focused solely on Harry Potter.

From the moment the article had appeared, Harry and Hermione had to endure people, mainly Slytherins, quoting it at them as they passed by, and making sneering comments. Fred and George told Hermione that the boys that did at, as well as the girls, were jealous of them, even if they didn’t realized not all of it was truth.

_Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts._

_His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely_

_seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger,_

_a stunningly pretty Muggle-born gril who, like Harry,_

_is one of the top students in the school._

Fleur had tried to speak to Hermione about everything, but the brunette did her best to not only avoid her, but ignore her too. And when the article came, Fleur’s veela blood demanded to take back what was hers. So even with the warning and the threat that Snape made at her, she began to plan a new bet in order to at least be able to speak to her Chosen.

One day, Fleur thought that she had at last managed to corner Hermione, but soon found out that her Chosen was in the company of the red hair little girl, who glared at the veela. After a few minutes of just staring at their departure, Fleur forced herself to turn around and leave defeated again, but bumped into the twins, who were not only gaping at her, as almost all the boys did, but trying to speak to her.

George managed to pinch himself in the arm, and the pain caused him to snap out of the trance he was at, still pinching himself he also pinched his brother and told him that even when it was painful, it was a great method to resist the thrall. Fleur just stared disbelievingly at them.

“Hermione told us” began Fred

“That you’re a veela, which is no surprise at all” continued George

“We love her, she’s like another sister.” said Fred

“And we want you to stop harassing her” said George

“Stop abusing of your thrall” said Fred

“You had hurt her enough” said George

“You’ll face the Weasley wrath if you don’t leave her alone” said Fred

“And our older brothers, even Percy, are to be informed if you don’t stop hurting Hermione” said George

“And you’ll have to deal with our mom, and a few of her friends, including a werewolf!” concluded Fred

“And lets not forget Sirius” added George while both twins turned to leave. Fleur stood there for a second.

“Wait!” she said making the twins to turn again. “I don’t mean to ‘urt ‘er” Fleur said sadly “I love ‘er!” she declared “I’ll face everyone in ze world, even ze Dark Lord ‘imself in order to gain ‘er ‘eart. I will not give up on us”

Then she turned around and went to the Great Hall, leaving behind two amused redheads and a smirking dark shadow standing somewhere down the corridor. After meal, she wrote a letter to her mother, maybe she had some ideas as how to deal with the ache she was experiencing, she also decided to mention this Sirius person and the werewolf involvement of her Chosen, who had really loyal and faithful friends.

On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Hermione told Harry that it would do them good to get away the castle for a bit, and Harry didn’t need much persuation.

“What about Ron, though?” he said “Don’t you want to go with him?”

“Oh… well…” Hermione lowered her head for a moment, then looked back at him “I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks…”

“No” said Harry flatly

“Oh Harry, this is so stupid”

“I’ll come, but I’m not meeting Ron” he said knowing Hermione didn’t really want to go alone because of the blond veela “And I’m wearing my Invisibility Cloak” he added remembering what Ginny told him about the twins conversation with said veela

“Oh, all right then…” Hermione snapped “but I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I’m looking at you or not”

So Harry put on his Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together he and Hermione set off for Hogsmeade.

“People keep looking at me now” said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates. “They think I’m talking to myself”

“Don’t move your lips so much then”

“Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one’s going to bother you here”

“Oh yeah?” said Harry “Look behind you”

Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passed right by Hermione without looking at her. Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with her handbag. When they were gone, Harry said. “She’s staying in the village. I bet she’s coming to watch the first task”

As he said it, Hermione growled upon hearing the word bet. Most of the times she and Fleur had crossed paths in the last few days, that kept coming up. Fleur trying to lure Hermione into a new bet, and she had to remember that she had lost the last one too, and had yet to pay it.

“She’s gone” said Hermione looking right through Harry toward the end of the street “Why don’t we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, it’s a bit cold, isn’t it? You don’t have to talk to Ron!” she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.

The pub was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon. Harry edged slowly toward a spare table in the corner while Hermione went to buy drinks. On his way to through, he spotted Ron, who was sitting with Fred, George and Lee Jordan.

On the other side of the Three Broomsticks, he noticed that Fleur sat surrounded by a bunch of boys, and she was watching intently at Hermione who joined him a moment later without a glance to the veela, and slipped him a butterbeer under his cloak.

“I look like such and idiot, sitting here on my own” she mutered “Lucky I brought something to do”

And she pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S.P.E.W members. Harry saw his and Ron’s names at the top of the amazingly long list. It seemed a long time ago that they had sat making up those predictions together and Hermione had turned up and appointed them secretary and treasurer.

“You know, maybe I should try and get some villagers involved in S.P.E.W” Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub. Then she noticed the blond girl across the room, with whom she locked eyes. It seemed such a natural thing to do, get lost in her gaze was easy. “ _It’s the thrall_ ” she remembered, forcing herself to look away.

“Look, it’s Hagrid!” she said

The back of Hagrid’s enormous shaggy head emerged over the crowd. Hermione wondered why she hadn’t spotted him at once, as Hagrid was so large, but standing up cheerfully, she saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody. Then she noticed that Fleur was somewhat alone now, and had stood up from her seat.

As Harry watched, he saw Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. He waved, then remembered that Hagrid couldn’t see him. Moody however, paused, his magical eye on the corner where Harry was standing. He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back, muttered something to him, and then the pair of them made their way back across the pub toward Harry and Hermione’s table; noticing this, Fleur stopped midway and waited patiently.

“All right, Hermione?” said Hagrid loudly

“Hello” said Hermione, smiling back at him. Doing her best not to stare past him, toward Fleur.

Moody limped around the table and bent down; Harry thought he was reading the S.P.E.W notebook until he muttered, “Nice cloak, Potter”

Hermione stared at him in amazement. Moody grinned.

“Can your eye… I mean, can you…?”

“Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks” Moody said quietly “And it’s come in useful at times, I can tell you” then he stood straight and stared at Hermione “I knew you were a couple” he said grinning

“It’s not what it seems Professor” said Harry in a low voice.

“Ah, don’t mind me” said Moody

Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too, it was obvious that Moody had told him he was there. Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S.P.E.W notebook as well, and said in a whisper so low that only Harry could hear him. “Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that cloak”

Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly. “Nice ter see yeh, Hermione” winked and departed. Moody followed him.

“Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?” Harry said very surprised

“Does he?” said Hermione looking startled. “I wonder what he’s up to. I don’t know whether you should go, Harry…” She looked around nervously and hissed “It might make you late for Sirius”

Harry had received response from Sirius, asking him to be alone by the fire in the Gryffindor Tower at one o’clock.

“W’o eeezzz Sirius, and w’o are ‘ou talking to?” Asked Fleur getting a seat at Hermione’s side.

“Why do you care?” asked Hermione annoyed picking up her things

“We’ve been zrough zis” said Fleur

“Well, you have a pathetic way of showing off your love” said Hermione defiantly. Fleur smirked, she still had a chance after all.

“’zough it eeezzz true zat I do love ‘ou, I ‘aven’t told it to ‘ou ‘til now mon ange” she said triumphantly when Hermione paled.

“Well, just so you know, I hate you” said Hermione standing up.

“Non, ‘ou don’t” said Fleur grabbing her wrist.

“Let go off me” snarled Hermione

“I bet I’ll get ze hig’est marks in ze first task” said Fleur “If I come firzzt place, zen ‘ou’ll ‘ave to listen to w’at I ‘ave to say”

“Fine, you have a deal” Fleur smiled “but you won’t be able to outdo Harry!” Hermione said stubbornly “My BOYFRIEND will come first place”

“Boyfriend?” asked Fleur at the verge of crying

“Yes, or don’t you read the news?” said Hermione handing a copy of the Daily Prophet with the article about her relationship with Harry, to Fleur. Then, knowing it would hurt the veela, she snatched Harry’s cloak, revealing a blushing Harry, took his hand in hers and left the pub.

When they were both out of sight and near the castle grounds, Hermione began to cry hard, Harry just stood there holding his friend in a tight embrace. After a few minutes, he noticed that people were starting to come back and were staring at them, so he led them to the Gryffindor Tower and when Hermione fell asleep, Ginny made sure to take her to her dorm. Harry then told the twins, who were already there, what had happened.

Hermione got up on Sunday morning and dressed so inattentively that it was a while before she realized she was trying to pull her hat onto her foot instead of her sock. When she’d finally got all her clothes on the right parts of her body, she went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. There she sat with Ginny for a few minutes, until Harry showed up and waited patiently for her to finish.

Then he dragged her onto the grounds and while taking a long walk around the lake, he told her that Hagrid wanted to tell him about the First Task, which had to do with dragons. He also told her what Sirius had said about Bertha Jorkins (the missing witch from the Ministry) and that Karkaroff was a Death Eater.

Alarmed as she was by Sirius’ warnings about Karkaroff, Hermione still thought that the dragons were the more pressing problem, not just for Harry.

“Let’s just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening” she said desperately “and then we can worry about Karkaroff”

After a few minutes of silence Harry spoke again. “Madame Maxime, will surely tell Fleur, so don’t worry about her” he said reassuringly

“I’m not worried about that lying annoying veela”

“Yes you are” said Harry matter of factly

They walked three times around the lake, trying all the way to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon. Nothing whatsoever occurred to them, so they retired to the library instead. Here, Harry pulled down every book he could find on dragons, and both of them set to work searching through the large pile.

After hours of going through books with no avail, Harry stared hopelessly down all the books they had on the table, sure there had to be something somewhere.

“Oh no, he’s back again, why can’t he read on his stupid ship?” said Hermione irritably as Viktor Krum slouched in, cast a surly look over at the pair of them, and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books. “Come on Harry, we’ll go back to the common room… his fan club’ll be here in a moment, twittering away…”

And sure enough, as they left the library, a gang of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist.

On Monday, Harry asked Hermione to meet her at the greenhouse while he went to warn Cedric about the First Task. Hermione acknowledged that if he was right about Madame Maxime and Karkaroff, Diggory was the only champion unaware of what was to come.

“Hermione” Harry whispered when he had sped into the greenhouse minutes later, uttering a hurried apology to Professor Sprout as he passed her. “Hermione, I need you to help me”

“What d’you think I’ve been trying to do, Harry? She whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety.

“Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon”

“Summoning Charm?” she asked confused “How’s that supposed to help you?”

“I am best at flying. I need to pass the dragon in the air, for that I need my Firebolt, and for that I need…”

“A Summoning Charm” whispered Hermione.

And so they practiced. They didn’t have lunch, but headed for a free classroom, where Harry tried all his might to make various objects fly across the room toward him. He was still having problems. The books and quills kept loosing heart halfway across the room and dropping like stones to the floor.

He wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione refused point-blank to skive off Arithmancy, and there was no point in staying without her. He therefore had to endure over an hour of Professor Trelawney.

He forced some dinner after Divination, then returned to the empty classroom with Hermione, using the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder’s Map to avoid the teachers. They kept practicing until past midnight. They would have stayed longer, but Peeves turned up and, pretending to think that Harry wanted things thrown at him, started chucking chairs across the room. Harry and Hermione left in a hurry before the noise attracted Filch, and went back to the Gryffindor common room.

At two o’clock in the morning, Harry stood near the fireplace, surrounded by heaps of objects. Only in the last hour had Harry really got the hang of the Summoning Charm.

“That’s better, Harry, that’s loads better” Hermione said looking exhausted but very pleased.

“Well, now we know what to do next time I can’t manage a spell” Harry said, throwing a rune dictionary back to Hermione so he could try again. “threaten me with a dragon, right…?

Then after a few seconds she scowled. Harry noticed and realized what this was about.

“She’ll do fine. I’m sure she’ll be safe”

“Of course she will” said Hermione then she added “I’m sure that there’ll be lots of wizards to help in case of real danger”

“Uh hu” said Harry smirking “So, do you really think I can do better than her?”

“Sure. We’ve been through worse. Right?” Harry just smiled at her

On the following morning Hermione was having breakfast with Ginny, both of them waiting for Harry to come down. The Great Hall was almost empty, just a few first years were there. When Ginny noticed that the veela-girl was walking toward them, she did her best to try and get Hermione out the Great Hall, of course the brunette refused to leave before speaking to Harry.

“Bonjour mon ange” said Fleur when she reached them. Hermione scowled and Ginny just glared at the blond.

Madame Maxime came few seconds later and told Fleur she had to go onto the grounds with the other champions

“Juste encore a minute madame, s’il vous plait?” Madame Maxime looked past her and noticed the red head and the brunette staring, then she nodded and headed out. “I know ‘ou don’t ‘ate me” said Fleur leaning into Hermione who couldn’t help the butterflies forming on her stomach.

“Yes, I do” said Hermione in a trembling voice

“Non, ‘ou don’t” Said Fleur closing the distance between them and stealing a kiss from Hermione’s lips. Hermione froze in place but a second later she retreated and slapped Fleur.

“How dare you!?” exclaimed Hermione. Fleur smirked, knowing that for a brief moment her Chosen had reciprocated said kiss.

“I’ll take zat as a good luck token” she said straightening “for today’s task” she winked at her and left the Great Hall.

Harry arrived minutes later and sat with Ginny and Hermione, they were having breakfast at the Gryffindor Table on the Great Hall and were stared at, almost by everyone there.

“Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now” Professor McGonagall was hurrying over to him. “You have to get ready for your first task”

“Okay” said Harry standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter.

“Good luck, Harry” Hermione whispered “You’ll be fine!”

“Yeah” said Harry in a voice that was most unlike his own.

He left the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall. She didn’t seem herself either, in fact she looked nearly as anxious as Hermione. As she walked him down the stone steps and out into the grounds, she put her hand on his shoulder.

“Now, don’t panic” she said “just keep a cool head… We’ve got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand… The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any worse of you… Are you all right?”

“Yes” Harry heard himself say “Yes, I’m fine”

She was leading him toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees, Harry saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.

“You’re to go in here with the other champions” said Professor McGonagall “and wait for your turn, Potter. Mr. Bagman will be in there, he’ll be telling you the… procedure. Good luck”

“Thanks” said Harry as she left him at the entrance of the tent.

Fleur was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn’t look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Maybe it was because for her, this wasn’t about just beating the dragon and becoming the Triwizard Champion, it was about her relationship with Hermione.

Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric gave him a small smile, which Harry returned, feeling the muscles in his face working rather hard, as though they had forgotten how to do it.

Then, the waiting began, and Harry began pacing too, until he heard a noise at the side coming from outside the tent. Hermione napped shut the flap and smiled nervously to him.

“How’re you feeling? Ok?” she asked Harry.

Harry nodded and Hermione glanced about, noticing Krum lying on a bench, Diggory pacing and Fleur seated in stony silence, glaring intently at Harry.

“The key is to concentrate. After that, you just have to…”

“Battle a dragon” said Harry in a defeated tone.

“Right… Oh, Harry!”

Overcome by emotion, she threw her arms around him, when a Flash was heard. They turned to see Rita Skeeter strolling in, her photographer in tow.

“Young love. How stirring. If things go unfortunately tonight, you two may even make the front page” said the reporter

“You” snarled Hermione

“Oh don’t even start, you silly girl. I can tell you where it’ll end” threatened Skeeter.

“’Ou ‘ave no business ‘ere” said Fleur from where she was seated

“The tent is for champions. And… friends” finished Krum

Everyone turned, stunned to hear him speak. Skeeter studied him appraisingly, as did Hermione, trying to ignore Fleur’s gazing.

“No matter. We got what we wanted” said Skeeter smiling thinly.

_As she exited, Dumbledore entered from the opposite end. With him came Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and Ludo Bagman._

“Good evening, Champions.” Began Dumbledore as the Champions assembled “You've waited. You've wondered. And now the moment is here” he continued mystifyingly “A moment only you four can fully appreciate. Which begs the question: Why are you here, Miss Granger?”

“Oh. Sorry. I'll. Just. Go.” Said Hermione turning around, glancing at Fleur’s back.

“Ludo, if you please” said Dumbledore when she was gone

“Well, now we’re all here… time to fill you in!” said Bagman brightly “When the audience has assembled, I’m going to be offeing each of you this bag” he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them “from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different, er… varieties, you see. And your task is to collect the golden egg, guarded by what you must face!”

Fleur glanced around. Harry had nodded once to show that he understood. Cedric and Krum hadn’t reacted at all. After a few minutes of hearing hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet passing the tent, the only judge that was left on the tent was Bagman, who opened the neck of the purple silk sack.

“Ladies first” he said offering it to Fleur.

She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tine, perfect model of a dragon, a Welsh Green. Ii had the number two around its neck. And Fleur knew, by looking at the other champions’ determined resignation features instead of surprise, that they all knew before hand what was the first task about.

Viktor Krum pulled out the Scarlet Chinese Fireball. I had a number three around its neck. Krum didn’t even blink, he just sat back down and stared at the ground.

Diggory put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-gray Sweedish Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck. Knowing what was left, Harry put his hand inoto the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail with the number four.

“Well, there you are!” said Bagman. “You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I’m going to have to leave because I’m commentaring.” A whistle had blown somewhere “Good lord, I’ve got to run!” said Bagman in alarm and he hurried off.

Cedric went out and seconds later, they heard the roar of the crowd, which meant he had entered the enclosure and was now face to face with the living counterpart of his model…

It was worse than Fleur could’ve imagined, sitting there and listening. The crowd screamed… yelled… gasped like a single many-headed entity as Cedric did whatever he was doing to get past the Swedish Short-Snout. Fleur had now taken to retracing Cedric’s steps around and around the tent. And Bagman’s commentary made everything much, much worse…

“Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow” …. “Clever move, pity it didn’t work!”

 _Will my plan work?_ Wondered Fleur _Will I be able to do it?_ She kept pondering _And if I outdo Potter, will she really listen to me?_

And then after fifteen minutes or so, there was heard a deafening roar that could only mean that Diggory had gotten past his dragon and captured the golden egg.

“Very good indeed!” Bagman was shouting “And now the marks from the judges!” But he didn’t shout the marks “One down, three to go!” Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. “Miss Delacour, if you please!”

Fleur was trembling from head to foot as she left the tent with her head held high and her hand clutching her wand. She had a planned and it had to work.

Hermione was seated along with the Gryffindors and her heart skipped a beat when Fleur entered the arena. Hermione noticed that the veela was nervous and she knew that could be dangerous for her, she didn’t want the veela to get injured or worse, she merely didn’t want her near herself.

But while she watched Fleur trying to get past the Welsh Green, Hermione knew deep down that she really cared for the veela, even if she was an annoying lying one at that. It was not the thrall what made her like the girl, it was the girl herself, not the thrall at all.

“Oh I’m not sure that was wise!” she could barely hear Bagman

Fleur had now managed to cast a spell on the dragon to put it into a trance. The Dragon was now sleepy and couldn’t care much of anything around it, so Fleur walked around it toward the golden egg, she was almost there when the dragon’s tail fell on the ground tumbling her down.

“Oh… nearly! Careful now…” said Bagman

Fleur waited a few seconds and decided to round the dragon, but then it snored and a great jet of flame shot out of it and her skirt caught fire.

“Good lord, I thought she’d had it then!” yelled Bagman

The veela put the fire down with a bit of water out of her wand and then she proceeded to take the egg. The crowd erupted into applause once more… Fleur’s marks from the judges were shown.

Madame Maxime awarded her with a 10. Igor Karkaroff and Bagman gave her a 7, each. While Dumbledore and Mr. Crouch graded her with an 8. That totaled 40 points. She was 2 points higher than Diggory.

Fleur have been successful, and she was safe. Hermione began to cry, though only the twins noticed, they both held her tight while Krum and Harry faced their dragons. Hermione barely noticed that Harry almost didn’t make it, she snapped out of it when she heard Bagman’s voice acclaiming Harry.

“Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg!” Bagman was yelling

Hermione noticed the dragon keepers rushing forward to subdue the Horntail, and over at the entrance, Professor McGonagall, Moody and Hagrid were hurrying to meet with Harry. He had got through the first task, and he had survived… Hermione felt awful not knowing how Harry did it, too concerned about Fleur’s safety. That had been a close call, fortunately, it was only part of her robes and the fire hadn’t gotten to the flesh.

Hermione rushed to the tent where Madame Pomfrey was tending to Harry. She came darting inside followed closely by Ron, who had managed to tell her how marvelous Harry had been.

“Harry, you were brilliant!” Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face, where she had been clutching it in fear. “You were amazing! You really were!” she tried to reassure him.

But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at him as though he were a ghost.

“Harry” he said very seriously “whoever put your name in that goblet… I… I reckon they’re trying to do you in!”

“Caught on, have you?” said Harry coldly “Took you long enough”

Hermione stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly.

“It’s okay” said Harry before Ron could get the words out. “Forget it”

“No” said Ron “I shouldn’t’ve…”

“Forget it” Harry said

Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back. Hermione burst into tears.

“There’s nothing to cry about!” Harry told her bewildered.

“You two are so stupid!” she shouted stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front “And, you’re both safe” she finished. Harry knew the first part referred to him and his friend, while the second part referred to the veela, so he smiled.

“I told you so” Before either of them could stop her she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.

After a few minutes which Ron used to explain to Harry what had the other’s champions done, they went out and met Hermione waiting expectantly to the judges marks.

Madame Maxime raised her wand in the air and a long silver ribbon sot out of it, forming a large figure 8.

“Not bad!” said Ron as the crowd applauded “I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder…” Hermione heard that and saw that there was burnt skin on her friends shoulder, she winced at that.

Mr. Crouch shot a number nine into the air. Dumbledore too put up a nine. Ludo Bagman shot a 10. And Karkaroff shot out of his wand a 4.

“You’re tied in first place, Harry! You and Delacour” Said Charlie Weasley hurrying to meet them as they set off back toward the school. “Listen, I’ve got to run, I’ve got to go and send Mum an owl… Bagman wants a word back at the champions’ tent”

Ron and Hermione assured him they would wait, so he turned to the tent, before setting of, Harry leaned to whisper into Hermione’s ear. “So, neither outdo the other. Who won?”

Hermione blushed and lowered her head, noticing that Fleur was walking to the tent too. The blond stood there, gazing lovingly at her, which made Hermione uneasy.

“I don’t know” she admitted to her friend.

“I think you ought to listen to what she has to say” said Harry walking off, Fleur followed him closely.

“What was that about?” asked a confused Ron.

“It seems to be all about bets” said Hermione in a low voice


	7. Hide and seek

**_Chapter 07_ **

**_Hide and seek_ **

Harry, Ron and Hermione went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Harry could send Sirius a letter telling him that he had managed to get past his dragon. On the way, Harry filled Ron on everything Sirius had told him about Karkaroff. Though shocked at first to hear that Karkaroff had been a Death Eater, by the time they entered the Owlery Ron was saying that they ought to have suspected it all along.

“Fits, doesn’t it?” he said “remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup… Though, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he’s going to be feeling really stupid now, isn’t he?”

Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of delivery he was flying around and around Harry’s head, hooting incessantly. Ron snatch Pigwidgeon out of the air and hel him still while Harry attached the letter to his leg.

“There’s no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?” Ron went on as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window “You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry. I’m serious”

Hermione leaned against the Owlery wall, folded her arms and frowned at Ron. “Harry’s got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament” she said seriously “If that was the first task, I hate to think what’s coming next”

“Right little ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” said Ron “You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime”

He threw Pigwidgeon out of the window. Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg was much longer and heavier than usual. They watched Pig disappear into the darkness and then Ron said “Well, we’d better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry. Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens now”

Hermione was leading their way down when she bumped into someone else; she didn’t need to see who it was since her other senses had already told her. Ron went purple while Harry tried to keep him from falling through the staircase.

“’Ermione” said Fleur smiling at her.

“Fleur” replied Hermione in a menacing tone

“We’ll wait for you in the Hall Hermione, we won’t go up to the tower without you. Ok?” said Harry taking Ron by the arm and leading him down while Hermione nodded her head.

Once alone Hermione was nervous, she didn’t know what to expect now. She had accepted she liked Fleur, but she still felt annoyed by her and above all, she was still mad at her for not telling her the truth.

“Care to join me up zere?” began Fleur “I’m sending a letter to mozer and Gabby” she said showing the parchment in her hands. Hermione nodded and turned around again, climbing the stairs to the Owlery.

Fleur tied her message to her owl and looked expectantly at Hermione, waiting to see if she was going to speak to her. Hermione kept her gaze down, she refused to look directly at Fleur.

Fleur remembered her mother’s words on her last letter, after congratulating her for being Beauxbaton’s Champion, and praising her Chosen’s friends …

_It is worrisome that you feel pulled and pushed from her at the same time, though._

_Are you sure its getting stronger? The Annoyance?_

_Anyway, remember what I last told you when you told me about that book you took from her:_

_My mom told me once that when you're afraid of something,_

_what you want more than anything else is to make it go away._

_You want your life back to the way it was before you found out that there was something to be afraid of._

_You want to build a high wall and live your old life behind it._

_But nothing ever stays the same._

_That's not your old life at all._

_That's your new life with a wall around it._

_Your choice is not about going back to the way things were._

_Your choice is about hiding, or about going right to the heart of the thing that scares you._

She had kept that in mind all the time, or so she thought, after all, that’s why she decided to begin with the bets, because she was afraid. Then it hit her hard… those words were not about her, they were about her Chosen…

“So…” said Hermione without looking at her. “I’ll go now” she concluded turning to leave.

“Wait!” pleaded Fleur, Hermione froze but didn’t turn around. “Won’t you at least face me while we talk?”

“We don’t have anything to talk about” said Hermione

“I won ze bet, you ‘ave to ‘ear me out”

“No, I don’t. You didn’t win. You didn’t outdo Harry”

“But zat was not ze bet. I said, and I quote: ‘I bet I’ll get ze hig’est marks in ze first task. If I come firzzt place, zen ‘ou’ll ‘ave to listen to w’at I ‘ave to say.’ Zen you agreed to zat…. Zerefore I won”

Hermione turned around, anger evident on her eyes. “I said you wouldn’t be able to outdo Harry! You didn’t, so you did not won!” Fleur smirked, she had analyzed this over and over again.

“But I did get ze highest marks!” she began smirking “And I’m in first place… zat was ze deal”

Hermione paled, logically, Fleur was right. But right now she was not ready to hear her out. “I will not listen to anymore lies” she said trying to leave Fleur there.

“Fine, if you refuse to acknowledge zat I won zis bet, its ok.” She said, making Hermione stop in her tracks, was Fleur actually giving up? That didn’t make sense, so she turned around locking her eyes with Fleur’s, who smirked at her and then added “You still owe me a date. You’ll ‘ave to listen then” said Fleur heading to the staircase and leaving Hermione stunned.

After a few minutes there, Hermione snapped out and headed to the Hall to meet with Ron and Harry.

“So, how are things with your not so muggle girlfriend?” asked Ron having being briefed by Harry on what was going on.

“Really!” yelled Hermione “She’s not my girlfriend and she’ll never be! She can keep the book, I don’t care anymore!”

Harry eyed her curiously but she dismissed him and didn’t tell him what had happened. When they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with ceers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface.

Harry helped himself to food and sat down with Ron and Hermione.

“Blimey, this is heavy” said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg, which Harry had left on a table. “Open it, Harry, go on! Let’s just see what’s inside it!”

“He’s supposed to work out the clue on his own” Hermione said swiftly. “It’s in the tournament rules…”

“I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too” Harry muttered so only Hermione could hear him, and she grinned rather guiltily.

Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open. The moment that happened, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing filled the room.

“Shut it!” Fred bellowed, his hands overe his ears. Harry compelled.

“Sounded like a banshee… Maybe you’ve got to get past one of those next, Harry” said Seamus Finnigan.

While everyone began to make theories about what it was and what it meant, Fred took Hermione’s hand and lead her away of prying ears.

“Want a jam tart, Hermione?” he asked her

Hermione looked doubtfully at the plate he was offering her. Fred grinned.

“It’s alright” he said “I haven’t done anything to them. It’s the custard creams you’ve got to watch…”

Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred laughed.

“Just my little joke, Neville…”

“Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?” she asked him while taking a jam tart

“Yep” said Fred, grinning at her. He put a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf “Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!”

“How do you get in there?” Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice

“Easy” said Fred “concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and…” he stopped and looked suspiciously at her “Why?”

“Nothing” Hermione said quickly

“Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?” said George who had joined them. “Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?”

Hermione sighed a no in response. “Just going to hide in there” she said sadly when no one was paying attention.

Over the next few days Hermione didn’t spent time with her friends, they only saw her in classes and sometimes in the corridors, but never enough time to chat. Harry was getting worried and told Ginny and the twins about their encounter with Fleur in the Owlery. Fleur too had being trying to talk to Hermione, specially now that neither of her friends were around her, but the brunette just disappeared whenever she thought she had her cornered.

Ron was oblivious to all that. He knew his friend was hurting, but didn’t quite understood it.

“At least we didn’t get homework” he began after Trelawney’s lesson “I hope Hermione got loads off Professor Vector, I love not working when se is…”

But once again, Hermione wasn’t at dinner, nor was she in the library when they went to look for her afterward. The only person in there was Viktor Krum. Ron hovered behind the bookshelves for a while, watching Krum, then they left.

“Wonder where she’s got to?” Ron said as he and Harry went back to the Gryffindor Tower.

“Dunno…”

“Harry!” sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione’s arrival. She panted, skidding to a halt beside them “Harry, you’ve got to come… you’ve got to come, the most amazing thins’s happened, please…”

“You finally got together with the veela?” asked Ron

Hermione winced, but seized Harry’s arms and started to try to drag him back along the corridor.

“What’s the matter?” Harry said

“I’ll show you when we get there… oh com on, quick”

Harry looked at Ron who looked back intrigued at him. “Okay” Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Ron hurrying to keep up.

“Hermione, where are we going?” asked Harry

“You’ll see in a minute!” said Hermione excitedly

She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through a door, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly food.

“Oh hang on...” said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor “Wait a minute, Hermione…”

“What?” she turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face.

“I know what this is about” said Harry. He nudged Ron and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione, it showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl.

“Hermione!” said Ron, cottoning on “You’re trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!”

“No, no, I’m not!” she said hastily “and it’s not spew, Ron…”

“Changed the name, ‘ave you?” said a voice at one side of the room.

Fleur knew this was where Hermione had being disappearing over the last couple of days. She had lost track of her here, so she decided to wait there in order to see what happened, where she went and when she came back.

“What is it now zen? ‘ous-elf Liberation Fron?” Asked Fleur smirking. Ron had went purple again, Harry stood there not knowing what was going on, while Hermione glared at her. “I’m not going to…”

“I’m not asking anything of you!” Said Hermione impatiently. “I came down here to, well, it does not matter now” she said turning her attention to Harry again. “And I found… oh, com on Harry, I want to show you!”

She seized his arm again, pulled him in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl, stretched out her forefinger and tickled the huge green pear. I began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside. Hermione seized then Ron and pushed him in to. Then she turned her back to Fleur, who grabbed her by the wrist.

“I’ll go too” she said simply following Hermione inside.

Fleur was stunned, as were Harry and Ron. They were watching the glittering brass pots and pans around the stone walls, when something small hurtled toward Harry from the middle of the room, squealing. “Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!”

Next second Harry had been knocked on the floor as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly, Hermione thought his ribs would break.

“D-Dobby?” Harry gasped.

“It is Dobby, sir, it is!” squealed the voice. “Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!”

Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. Hermione grinned happily, she knew they both were going to be happy.

“Dobby, what’re you doing here?” Harry said in amazement.

“Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!” Dobby squealed excitedly “Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!”

“Winky?” said Harry “She’s here too?”

“Yes, sir, yes!” said Dobby and he seized Harry’s hand and pulled him off into the kitchen. At least a hundred elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. They were wearing all the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied like a toga.

Fleur watched silently her Chosen, she noticed the happiness that produced her seeing her friends antiques. The veela did not know that they were friends with a house-elf, and it amazed her how her Chosen related to everyone. She did not discriminate at all, and she was kind to every one, maybe except to her, but in a way, Fleur knew she deserved it.

A few of the house-elves were gathering around and one of them gave Hermione a cookie.

“You look happy today miss, happy you look” said the house-elf. Hermione smiled at her taking the cookie and giving her peck on her cheek.

“Thanks Yeauxy… I am, look!” She said pointing toward Harry and Dobby.

Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed.

“Winky, sir!” he said

Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in for her large ears.

“Hello, Winky” said Harry

Winky’s lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of the great brown eyes and splashed down her front, as it had happened at the Quidditch World Cup.

“Oh dear” said Hermione. “Winky, don’t cry, please don’t…”

But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry.

“Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?” he squeaked loudly, over Winky’s sobs.

“Er… yeah, okay” said Harry

Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind him, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for Harry, Ron, Fleur and Hermione, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits.

“Good service!” Ron said in an impressed voice. Hermione frowned at him, but the elves looked all delighted; they bowed very low and retreated. Except for Yeauxy, who took Hermione’s hand and led her a little away from her friends. Fleur watched this but payed attention to Harry’s and Dobby’s chat.

“Is it her, about it?” asked Yeuxy to Hermione, referring to Fleur.

Hermione nodded, amazed that the house-elves were all so perspective. Over the days she had been hiding in the kitchen, she had watched them work, they actually seemed happy which annoyed her, but she soon desisted of her ideas of insurrection with them. She had managed to convince a few of them to ask Dumbledore permission to visit relatives once every six months, but aside from that, she hadn’t managed to change their way of thinking. After she gave up, they began to treat her fine again, they all liked her, and saw that she was somehow suffering. She usually made her homework on a far end of the kitchen not getting in their way while they worked. She soon made friends with Yeauxy and told her and other house-elves around, what she was feeling for a certain veela-girl.

“She’s pretty” said Yeauxy

“I know” acknowledge Hermione with a sigh. Then she added. “I won’t be able to come here now”

“Why, miss? You is not happy here?” said another house-elf that was near them.

“I am, I appreciate all you’ve done for me” said Hermione in a low voice

“Then why is you not visitin’ us again?” asked Yeauxy

“Because they now know where to find me, and I don’t want them to… specially not her” she said heading back toward her friends.

“Winky is a disgraced elf!” squeaked Winky “And Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!”

“Ahamed?” said Hermione blankly “But… Winky, come on! It’s Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn’t do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you…”

But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat.”You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!”

“Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter” squeaked Dobby confidentially. “Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won’t do it”

“Can’t house-elves speak their minds abut their masters, then?” Harry asked

“Oh no, sir, no.” said Dobby looking suddenly serious “Tis part of the house-elf’s enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir.”

“We upholds the family’s honor, and we never speaks ill of them” said Yeauxy, who had come back to be near Hermione. Dobby nodded in agreement

“But Dobby likes professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him” said Dobby

“But you can say what you like about the Malfoy’s now?” Harry asked him, grinning

“Dobby… Dobby could” he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. “Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were… were… bad Dark wizards!”

Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring, he sushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, “Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!”

Fleur laughed at that, but composed herself rather quickly when she noticed Hermione glaring at her. Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away of the table.

“Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you” said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head.

“You just need a bit of practice”

“Practice!” squealed Winky furiously “You is ought to be ashamed of yourself Dobby! Talking that way about your masters!”

“The isn’t my masters anymore, Winky!” said Dobby defiantly “Dobby doesn’t care what they think anymore!”

“Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!” moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more.

Yeauxy shook her head, said her goodbyes to Hermione and left them alone. The two elfs with them had arrived just yesterday night, and were really annoying, she didn’t want to have anything to do with freed house-elves, even if they were Miss’s friends.

“My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help!” She buried her face in her skirt again.

“Winky” said Hermione “I’m quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We’ve seen him, you know…”

“You is seeing my master?” said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt. “You is seeing him her at Hogwarts?”

“Yes” said Fleur intervening for the first time “’E and Mr. Bagman are judges in ze Triwizard Tournament” she finished smiling at the elf

“Mr. Bagman comes too?” squeaked Winky and to Hermione’s great surprise (and Ron’z and Harry’s too by the looks on their faces) she looked angry again. “Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn’t liking him, oh no, not at all!”

“Bagman, bad?” said Harry

“Oh yes” Winky said, nodding her head furiously “My master is telling Winky somethings! But Winky is not saying… Winky, Winky keeps her master’s secrets…”

She dissolved yet again in tears while Harry and Dobby chatted happily about his life as a fee elv and his plans for his wages.

As they prepared to leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs. Hermione refused, with a pained look at them, but Harry, Ron and eve Fleur, loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies.

“Thanks a lot!” Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say goodnight “See you Dobby!”

“Harry Potter… can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?” Dobby asked tentatively.

“Course you can” Said Harry and Dobby beamed

Once outside the kitchens Ron and Harry walked a few paces behind Hermione and Fleur, both concerned about her friend.

“So, ‘ow did you meet Dobby?” asked Fleur, hoping that this could be considered by her Chosen as a safe subject, for now.

“In our second year, he warned Harry about the plot Malfoy had?”

“Ferret Malfoy?” asked Fleur disbelieving. Hermione shook her head.

“Lucius Malfoy, he…” she began to tell Fleur the story about the chamber of secrets, not realizing when they were both left alone. They reached the castle entrance by the end of the tale. Fleur was amazed at what she had heard, Tom Riddle’s diary and the Chamber of Secrets… It’s entrance nowhere else than where she had heard her Chosen tell her name to Fleur.

When Hermione realized where she was, she turned around looking for her friends, who weren’t there. “ _I’m so going to kill them when I see them, that is conspiracy against me_ ”. Thought Hermione to herself, getting nervous by Fleur’s proximity.

“Will you listen to me now?” asked Fleur in a pleading tone. Hermione nodded her head, feeling ashamed for causing Fleur so much pain. “I didn’t tell you I’m veela because zere’s somezing about us zat no book will tell you”

Hermione looked up and for the first time in what seem years, she let herself loose her gaze in Fleur’s eyes, which were shinning with hope and something more, something she couldn’t quite place.

Fleur leaned down, refusing to let go. She was inches apart of Hermione’s lips. “I won’t give up on us” She said, closing the gap between them.

Hermione wasn’t sure of what was happening, she felt a need to embrace Fleur and kiss her senseless, yet she also felt a hatred towards her. She was not going to let go that easily, specially after Fleur’s last words. Just before their lips met, she turned her face and Fleur’s lips stamped into her cheek. Hermione stepped back and was about to insult Fleur when a gasp was heard behind her. Hermione turned around while Fleur looked up, and found themselves staring into Snape.

“It is late and you both should have been in your dorms two hours ago.” He said determined. “Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention for you Miss Granger. Now, go. To. Your. Dorm.” Said Snape marking each word.

Hermione turned to see Fleur, who simply smiled apologetically at her, then, angry again the brunette said “I do hate you. Leave me alone!” and then she went to the staircase. She managed to hear Snape’s voice director to Fleur before climbing up.

“I thought I had made my self clear” said Snape

Hermione pondered that for a second before archiving it at the back of her head and going to the Gryffindor Tower.


	8. The Yule Ball

**_Chapter 08_ **

**_The Yule Ball_ **

Hermione was extremely anxious around Snape, ever since he found her and Fleur at the Castle Entrance, he had been over her all the time. And that detention with him had been weird. He only asked her to make a potion, he didn’t say for what, or how it was called, he just gave her instructions and ingredients. Then, after two tries, she managed to make what Snape considered acceptable, put some on an empty vial, and then let her go. She had search through all the library, even the prohibited section, and had found nothing about it, not even a clue.

On Thursday after Transfiguration lesson, Professor McGonagall had announced the upcoming Yule Ball, that was used as an opportunity to socialize with foreign guests.

Hermione scowled. She was sick by now of all the guys that had asked her out, and she actually didn’t want to socialize with the foreign guests, specially Fleur, followed close by Krum, who was always around her. She had decided to go home either way, after all, she had a pending chat with her parents.

That summer, before meeting Fleur in the park, her parents confessed her that she was not really their daughter. They claimed that they didn’t know who her biological parents were, but maybe the adoption center did. Hermione thought that it didn’t matter who her biological parents were, after all, a parent is not who gives life to you, but who takes care of said life. Her parents had done a wonderful job so far, and she was proud of being a Muggleborn, because she was proud of her parents, even if they were dentists. She had only spoken about it with Molly Weasley, and Molly assured her that no matter who her parents were, she was a young amazing person, and that if she wanted to meet her biological parents, and they turned out to be wizards, Molly could be with her if she wished so.

So Hermione wanted to go home and tell her parents that she had decided not to search for her biological parents, she didn’t care about them, if they hadn’t care about her, why should she? Especially when she had an amazing family, and really good friends. But when she told to Professor McGonagall she was not going to stay, the teacher sent her to the Headmaster’s office, where Professor Dumbledore asked her to stay in the castle for Christmas. Hermione hesitated, but at the end complied and stayed.

Hermione had been asked out more frequently now that it was obvious she was staying. Then one day Fleur approached her.

“Bonjour mon ange”

“Leave me alone” said Hermione trying to leave

“I want to collect my prize” said Fleur seriously “I’d like you to come with me to ze Yule Ball”

“Are you mad!” yelled Hermione “I won’t. Why don’t you accept that I hate you and leave me alone?”

“You don’t ‘ate me, and you owe me a date” said Fleur smirking.

Hermione paled, but they were interrupted by someone, it was a student from the Durmstrang lot, Hermione recognized him and paled even more.

“Hermy-own?” he said as he reached them

“It’s ‘Ermione!” snapped Fleur. Hermione glared at her, then turned her attention to Krum

“Yeah?” She said smiling up at him

“I vas vondering if you already had a date for the Yule Ball?” He said trying not to stutter. Hermione grinned, seeing this as a chance to make Fleur back off.

“Why?”

“Because I’d like for you to be my date” said Krum smiling to Hermione

“It’d be my pleasure.” She said beaming at him.

Krum left delighted and Fleur glared angrily at Hermione, who managed to smile innocently.

“Sorry… what was it you were saying?”

“Never mind!” said Fleur snarling and leaving a smirking Hermione, but before she had a chance, Fleur was back at her side. “On second zought… Let’s make a bet” she said smirking, Hermione looked up to her eyes and wondered what was the veela’s plan now. “Your redhead friend, Ronald, will ask you to ze ball. But as a last resort.”

“How dare you…!” began Hermione but was cut off by Fleur

“’E’ll do it. And won’t believe you ‘ave a date… ‘E’s to blind to notice ‘ow beautiful you are”

“Ronald will not ask me out!” said Hermione

“If ‘e does, you’ll dance a piece wiz me at the Yule Ball. Just one dance… If ‘e doesn’t, I’ll leave you alone until ze second task is over” she said extending her right hand to Hermione, who eyed it closely.

“You have a deal!” she said taking Fleur’s hand in hers. Then she walked in the opposite direction.

Hermione met Harry and Ron on their way to Hagrid’s, and there he told them about an interview he had with Rita Skeeter.

“She jus’ wanted me ter talk about you, Harry” He said in a low voice. “Well, I told her we’d been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. Yeh’d think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry”

“’Course she did” said Harry.

“She wants a new angle, Hagrid” said Ron as he shelled salamander eggs. “You were supposed to say Harry’s a mad delinquent!”

“But he’s not!” said Hagrid

“She should’ve interviewed Snape” said Harry grimly “He’d give her the goods on me any day… _‘Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school…’_ ”

After a few hours there chatting, the subject went to the Yule Ball. Neither Ron, nor Harry had dates yet, and it seemed to Hermione that none of them cared if she did or not, so she just left to the common room.

The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, though Hermione didn’t believe half of them. Some of the teachers, like Professor Flitwick, gave up trying to teach them much when their minds were so clearly elsewhere.

Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working until the very last second of their classes too, and Snape, of course, would no sooner let them play games in class than adopt Harry as his child.

“Evil, he is” Ron said bitterly that night at the Gryffindor common room. “Springing a test on us on the last day”

“You’re not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?” said Hermione looking at him

“It’s Christmas Hermione” said Harry lazily

Hermione looked severely over at him too. “I’d have thought you’d be doing something more constructive, Harry, even if you don’t want to learn your antidotes!”

“Like what?” Harry said.

“That egg!” Hermione hissed

“Come on, Hermione, I’ve got till February the twenty-fourth” Harry said

“But it might take weeks to work it out!” said Hermione “You’re going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don’t”

“Leave him alone, Hermione. He’s earned a bit of a break” said Ron. “Or is it that your girlfriend has already figured it out?”

“Not my girlfriend!” yelled Hermione heading to the girls dorms, leaving the two of them alone.

Ron had finally managed to somewhat resist Fleur’s thrall, especially since his brothers passed the pinching tip. And it was fun to be able to make fun of Hermione after one of their encounters, which was a hard thing to remember if you were under the thrall.

A few minutes after Hermione left, Ginny came down and slapped Ron’s head.

“What was that for?” he asked annoyed

“Stop making fun of Hermione! She’s been through a lot. She’s hurting don’t you see?!” She turned and left through the hole in the wall in order to get something for dinner.

Harry stood up and hurried after her. “I’ll see you in a bit Ron” he said as he crossed the hole.

Next day Harry was beaming and told Hermione that he had a date to the Yule Ball, Ginny had accepted going with him. Hermione left him sitting in the Great Hall, she wasn’t sure how would her friend react knowing she was going with Krum to the dance.

Entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprised he saw Dean sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny and Ron were sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.

“What’s up Dean?” said Harry joining them.

Dean looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face

“Why did I do it?” he said wildly “I don’t know what made me do it!”

“What?” asked Harry

“He, er, just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him” said Ginny.

“You what?” said Harry

“I don’t know what made me do it!” Dean gasped again “What was I playing at? There were people all around, I’ve gone mad! She was standing taling to Diggory, and it sort of came over me, and I asked her!” Dean moaned and put his face in his hands. “She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn’t even answer, and then, I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it.”

“She’s part veela” said Ron “It wasn’t your fault. I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it… but she was wasting her time. He’s going with Cho Chang”

Harry looked at him, confused

“I asked her to go with me” he said dully “and she told me” then he sighed and looked at Dean again. “We’re the only ones left who haven’t got anyone, well, except Neville. Hey, guess who he asked?” He said looking up at Harry again “Hermione!”

“What?” said Harry completely distracted by this startling news.

“Yeah, I know!” said Ron. “He told me after Potions! Said she’s always been really nice, helping him out with his work and stuff… but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn’t want to go with Neville! And I doubt she’ll go with Fl…” but Ginny kicked him hard, making him remember that no one was supposed to know about Hermione fancying Fleur “I mean, with… you know what I mean!” he said finally.

Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.

“Why weren’t you at dinner?” she said coming over to join them.

“Because, oh shut up laughing you two!” yelled Ginny to Ron and Dean “Because they both” she said pointing at the ones laughing “have been just turned down by girls they asked to the ball!” said Ginny

That shut them up. “Thanks a bunch Gin” said Ron sourly

“All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?” said Hermione loftily “Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone somewhere who’ll have you”

But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light.

“Hermione, Neville’s right… you are a girl…”

“Oh well spotted” she said acidly

“Well, since you won’t be able to go with hum… well, you can come with one of us!” he said referring to himself and to Dean.

“No, I can’t” said Hermione

“Oh come on” he said impatiently “We need partners, we’re going to look really stupid if we haven’t got any, everyone else has…”

“I can’t come with you” said Hermione now angry “because I’m already going with someone”

“No, you’re not” said Ron “You just said that to get rid of Neville!”

“Oh, did I?” said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. “Just because it’s taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn’t mean no one else has spotted I’m a girl!”

Ron stared at her. The he grinned again.

“Okay, okay, we know you’re a girl” he said “That do? Will you come now?”

“I’ve already told you!” Hermione said very angrily, now knowing she had lost yet another bet. “I’m going with someone else!” As she stormed off toward the girl’s dormitories again.

“She’s lying” said Ron flatly watching her go

“She’s not” said Ginny quietly

“Who is it then?” said Ron sharply

“I’m not telling you, it’s her business” said Ginny “And now she has to do something she’s not ready for. All because of you!” then she left the common room too.

When Ginny came into Hermione’s dorm, the brunette was sprawled crying over her bed. The redhead reached to her and hold her tight.

“I know my bro’s a moron. But he means no harm”

“I know” said Hermione between sobs “But… I can’t face her… I just can’t”

Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays, Hermione was in no mood to work when the term ended, and spend the week leading up to Christmas enjoying herself as fully as possible with Harry, Ginny and the twins.

Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid’s cabin, while the Durmstrang ships portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings and only Fleur Delacour seemed to be able to find anything to complain about.

“It is too ‘eavy, all zis ‘Ogwarts food” she said as Hermione passed through, leaving the Great Hall; knowig that would angry Hermione because it would put the house-elves to work twice as hard. “I will not fit into my dress robes!”

“Oooh, there’s a tragedy” Hermione snapped as Fleur went into the entrance Hall, facing her “You really think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”

Fleur lowered her head ashamed while Hermione and her friends headed outside. She wasn’t like this, and now her Chosen might see her as an empty headed blond.

“Hermione, who are you going to the ball with?” said Ron

“I’m not telling you, you’ll just make fun of me” said Hermione

“You’re joking Weasley!” said Malfoy behind them “You’re not telling me someone’s asked that to the ball? No the long-molared Mudblood?”

Fleur who was still around heard that and headed to Malfoy. Harry and Ron both whipped around too. But Hermione said loudly waving ot somebody over Malfoy’s shoulder “Hello, Professor Moody!”

Malfoy went pale and jumped backward, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew.

“Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, Malfoy?” Said Hermione as she, Harry and Ron when up the marble staircase.

Fleur just stood there smirking and glaring at Malfoy, who upon seeing her turned to leave.

“Stop insulting ‘er Malfoy!” she said warningly “Next time I ‘ear you call ‘er names, it won’t be as pleasant as being a ferret!” then she too turned to leave.

Hermione awoke very suddenly on Christmas Day, wondering what had caused her abrupt return to consciousness, she opened her eyes, and saw an owl hooting happily around her bed. She recognized it as Mozy, Fleur’s owl, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“How did you get in here?” she asked Mozy taking away the parchment attached to its feet. Then glancing about and spotting a pile of presents at the foot of her bed.

She tried to open her presents but Mozy prevented her, making sure that she remembered the note he had delivered.

“If I open and read this, will you leave me to open my presents?” asked Hermione. The owl hooted happily again in acceptance.

Just while she was opening the parchment, Parvati and Lavender stood at her bedside.

“How did that come in?” asked Lavender annoyed

“And who is it from?” asked Parvati “Is it from your date?”

Hermione blushed but shook her head. “It’s from someone I met during summer break” It was not a lie. Her roommates studied her for a few minutes before remembering the presents piled up at their own beds. When Hermione made sure they were both immerse on her presents, she opened the parchment.

_Mon Ange,_

_I know you’re mad at me. I just wanted to apologize for my comments last night._

_I’m not a shallow woman, as I made myself seem to be._

_See you tonight, and remember:_

_I won’t give up on us._

_I love you._

**_Yours, Fleur._ **

She smiled up to Mozy, stroking its right wing. “There, I read it. Don’t expect me to send a reply, though.” Mozy understood this and flew off through an open window at the far end of the dorm. “So that’s how you got in here” Hermione said chuckling lightly.

Hermione then opened her gifts. There was sweater from Mrs. Weasley, a clock from Percy, new books from Charlie, Bill and Ron. A charmed bracelet from Ginny. New clothes from her parents, along with their authorized set of sweets. Finally, she opened Harry’s gift, which was accompanied by a note.

_Herm._

_I know you’ve been trying to avoid some people_

_So I realized this may be more useful to you than me,_

_At least for now._

_Though we might have to trade again once in a while._

_Merry Christmas._

**_HARRY_ **

Hermione smiled and opened her present, it turned out to be the Invisibility Cloak and the Maurader’s Map.

The entrance hall was packed, all milling around waiting for eight o’clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another.

Ron had managed to get a date with Padma Patil, while Dean’s date was Parvati Patil. Harry and Ginny were waiting for Hermione at the end of the marble staircase. Fleur Delacour was passing by, looking stunning in robes of silver-gray satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quiditch Captain, Roger Davies. The too, piled up at the Great Hall doors.

The oak front doors opened and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes. The only ones who recognized her at first glance were Fleur and Ginny, Fleur was glaring at Krum while Ginny simply grinned at that.

Many of the voice were staring blankly at Krum’s date, all of them envying the Quidditch player for the stunningly gorgeous girl by his arm.

Ginny decided to help Hermione, even when her friend might not see it as help. She excused a moment with Harry and headed toward the veela.

“My brother did asked her out” said Ginny in Fleur’s ear “So you won the bet” she said smirking, going back to Harry again.

Then Professor McGonagall’s voice called “Champions, over here please!”

Ginny readjusted her hair beaming, she and Harry said “see you in a minute” to Ron and Padma, and Dean and Parvati. And walked forward, the chatering crowd parting to let them through.

Professor McGonagall told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down. Fleur and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest to the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he would hardly take eyes off her. Cedric and Cho were close to Harry too. Harry’s eyes fell on the girl next to Krum, his jaw dropped.

“Hi Harry, hi Ginny” said Hermione knowing Harry had finally recognized her.

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.

The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands and mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. He House tables had vanished, instead there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Fleur’s as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; Madame Maxime was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, Hermione realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley, who smiled warmly at her.

Harry sat near Percy and learned that he had been promoted to Mr. Crouch assistant. And that Percy was here on his behalf because Mr. Crouch was feeling sick.

There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but mall menus were lying in front of each of them. Fleur picked hers up uncertainly and looked around, there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate “Pork chops!”

And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Fleur glanced up at Hermione to se how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dinning, surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves, but for once, Hermione didn’t seem to be thinking about S.P.E.W. She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum, and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating.

“Vell, ve have a castle also, nor as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking” he was telling Hermione “Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even that these, though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so v ear not enjoying them…”

“Now, now, Viktor!” said Karkarofff with a laugh that didn’t appear real. “don’t go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!”

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling “Igor, all this secrecy… one would almost think you didn’t want visitors”

“Well, Dumbledore” said Karkaroff, displaying his yellow teeth to their fullest extent “we are all protective of our private domains, are we not?”

“Well, zis is nozing” said Fleur dismissively, looking around and locking eyes with Hermione “At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we ‘ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Christmas. Zey do not melt of course… zey are like ‘uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze palace. And ze food is simply superb. And we ‘ave choirs of wood nymphs, we ‘ave none of zis ugly armor in ze walls, and if a poltergeist ever entered into Beauxbaton’s, it would be expelled like zat” she slapped her hand onto the table impatiently.

Roger Davies was watching her talk with a very dazed look on his face, and he kept missing his mouth with his fork. Hermione had the impression that Davies was too busy staring at Fleur to take in a word she was saying, and that made her mad. Fleur deserved at least to have someone around her that would see her for who she was inside, not for how she looked.

“Absolutely right” said Davies rather quickly, slapping his own hand down on the table in imitation of Fleur “Like that, yeah”

Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly, he kept calling her Hermy-own.

“Her-my-oh-nee” she said slowly and clearly

“Herm-own-ninny”

“Close enough” she said catching Ginny’s eye and grinning. Fleur kept glaring at Krum, her date oblivious to that.

When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked his students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all of the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a cello and some bagpipes were set upon it.

The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage, picked up their instruments and then the champions began to dance. After a few minutes, everyone else in the Great Hall, joined them waltzing. Harry tried to sit down with Ginny after the first son finished, but the redhead managed to convince him to keep dancing.

A few hours later they both needed a rest so they went to sit with Ron, who was staring intently at Hermione and Krum. Hermione came over and sat down at Padma’s empty chair, she was a bit pink in the face from dancing.

“Hi” said Harry. Ron scowled

“It’s hot, isn’t it?” said Hermione fanning herself with her hand. “Viktor’s just gone to get some drinks”

Ron gave her a withering look “Viktor?” he said “Hasn’t he asked you to call him Vicky yet?”

Hermione looked at him in surprise “What’s up with you?” she said

“If you don’t know” said Ron scathingly “I’m not going to tell you

Hermione stared at him, then at Harry and Ginny who shrugged. “Ron, what…?”

“He’s from Durmstrang!” spat Ron “He’s competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You, you’re fraternizing with the enemy, that’s what you’re doing!”

Hermione’s mouth fell open. “Don’t be so stupid!” she said after a moment “The enemy! Honestly, who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? And you didn’t care when I was fraternizing with Fleur!”

“I s’pose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library!”

“Sort of, yes!” said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing more brightly “So what?”

“What happened, trying to get him into join spew were you?”

“No, I wasn’t”

“Doesn’t matter any way. He’s Karkaroff’s student, isn’t he? He knows who you hang around with… He’s just trying to get closer to Harry, get inside information on him, or get near enough to jinx him…”

Hermione looked as though Ron had slapped her. When she spoke, her voice quivered. “For your information, he hasn’t asked me one single thing about Harry, not one!” People were starting to stare at them.

“Ron” said Harry quietly “I haven’t got a problem with Hermione making friends with them” But Ron chose to ignore his friend’s comments.

“Why don’t you go and find Vicky, he’ll be wondering where you are” sid Rond

“Don’t call him Vicky!”

Hermione jumped to her feet and stormed off across the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd. Ron watched her go with a mixture of anger and satisfaction on his face. Ginny stood up and slapped his brother.

“I told you not to stop hurting her!” she said going into crowd to. Harry stared at his friend for a moment and then headed off to find Ginny.

“Vare is Herm-own-ninny?” said a voice behind Ron

Krum had just arrived at their table clutching two butterbeers.

“No idea” said Ron looking up at him “Lost her, have you?” Krum was looking surly again

“Vell, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks” he said as he slouched off.

“Made friends with Viktor Krum, have you, Ron?”

Percy had bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous. “Excellent! That’s the whole point, you know… international magical cooperation!”

Fleur had watched the whole exchange, she was also mad at Ron for hurting her Chosen, but she had now to go and find her. After a few minutes of roaming around the castle, she was going to give up when she remembered the second floor restroom.

Sure enough, Hermione was there talking to Myrtle, whom Fleur had never seen. When Hermione noticed her, she bid her goodbye to the poltergeist and turned to leave. Fleur decided to follow her, she didn’t want to have a personal conversation in front of a ghost. She could see that Hermione was still mad, but deep down Fleur thanked that for once it was not at her, so she tooke Hermione’s hand in hers and led their way to a garden she had found a couple of days ago.

“You still owe me a dance” Hermione looked up at her in amazement “Your friend, Ginny, told me” Hermione blushed

“Do you want to go inside then?” asked Hermione in a low voice

“Non, we can dance ‘ere” said Fleur smiling “If you don’t mind”

Hermione was tired of running away, tired of hiding, and above all, tired of hating, so she let herself go into Fleur’s warm armas.

“’Ave you ever ‘eard the muggle group S Club 7?” asked Fleur holding Hermione and beginning to sway at an imaginary beat. Hermione shook her head. “Zey ‘ave a song, zat describes what I’m feeling right now” She took a small step back and lifted Hermione’s chin with her right hand, making the brunette to look into her eyes. “Want to listen to it?” Hermione smiled warmly and nodded her head, so Fleur began to sing.

Loving you is not just luck or illusion  
It's in the make-up of our DNA  
It's not by chance we make the perfect solution  
Don't fight it baby, you know that it's just destiny's way  
  
Baby lovin' you  
Comes easily to me  
It's what I'm living for  
It's all in the chemistry  
Baby lovin' you  
Is how it's meant to be  
It's something that is oh so natural to me  
Natural  
  
We got the answers but there's no explanation   
We got each other baby come what may   
It's in the science, it's genetically proven   
Cos when you touch the reaction it just blows me away  
  
Baby lovin' you  
Comes easily to me  
It's what I'm living for  
It's all in the chemistry  
Baby lovin' you  
Is how it's meant to be  
It's something that is oh so natural to me  
Natural  
  
Baby lovin' you  
Comes easily to me  
It's what I'm living for  
It's all in the chemistry  
Baby lovin' you  
Is how it's meant to be  
It's something that is oh so natural to me  
Natural  
  
Turn off the light, lay your head next to mine  
Take it slowly, a step at a time  
C'mon get close, closer to me  
It's oh so natural, it's oh so easy to see  
  
Baby lovin' you  
Comes easily to me  
It's what I'm living for  
It's all in the chemistry  
Baby lovin' you  
Is how it's meant to be  
It's something that is oh so natural to me  
Natural  
  
Baby lovin' you  
Comes easily to me  
It's what I'm living for  
It's all in the chemistry  
Baby lovin' you  
Is how it's meant to be  
It's something that is oh so natural to me  
Natural

When Fleur’s voice died down, Hermione was ecstatic, she knew that was all truth, she loved Fleur, and she was ready to let go of her fears.

“We have to stop the betting if we want this relationship to work” Said Hermione making Fleur smile widely. Slowly Hermione approached the blond and tenderly kissed her, Fluer eagerly kissed her back.

_‘this is it’_

_‘what?’_

_‘where I belong’_

While they were kissing, flashes of memories awoke in both of them.

**_Hermione’s chat with her parents about being adopted._ **

**_Fleur’s chat with her mother about the thrall and how it would begin to change her life._ **

**_Hermione meeting Harry and Ron_ **

**_Fluer fighting with Gabrielle_ **

**_The day they first met_ **

**_The first day they spoke_ **

**_Their reencounter at Hogwarts_ **

When breathing became a need again, they reluctantly let go of their kiss, but remained in each other’s arms, forehead against forehead.

“What was that?” asked Hermione

“I don’t know mon ange” said Fleur breathlessly “Mozer never said somezing like zis could ‘appen.”

“Never?” asked Hermione. Fleur shook hear head

“But my best guess would it be you fully accepted my feelings for you” Said Fleur smirking, leaning for another kiss

_‘I love you, Hermione’_

_‘I love you too’_

They pulled apart, a strange look in their eyes. “It happened again” said Hermione while Fleur smiled

They stood there, just staring into each other’s eyes for what seemed an eternity, when Fleur decided to speak again

“So the dentists are not your real parents”

“They are, they are not my biological parents, though”

“Do you zink your not muggleborn zen?”

“Don’t know, don’t care”

They were about to kiss again when Professor Dumbledore interrupted them.

“Ah Miss Granger, as lovely as it is to see blossoming couples, It is late now.” said Dumbledore

“I zink ‘e wants you to ‘ead off to your dorm mon ange” said Fleur sheepishly. Hermione nodded her head, leaned into Fleur, and kissed her goodnight.

“I’m glad you didn’t give up. See you tomorrow?”

“You can bet on zat” Said Fleur and winked at her.

Fleur turned to leave too, but bumped into Snape. Professor Dumbledore was still at the entrance watching over Hermione. Then, looking back at Fleur, Dumbledore added.

“A word with you please, miss Delacour”

Fleur nodded and followed Professor Dumbledore through the castle into his office, Snape with them the whole meeting.

Harry and Ginny walked back to the Gryffindor Tower alone. Cedric had just advised him to take a bath with the golden egg. Why would a bath help him to work out what the wailing egg meant?

They climbed into the common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row. Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, both flushed from anger.

“Well if you don’t like it, you know what the solution is, don’t you?” yelled Hermione, her hari was coming down out of its elegant bun down, and her face was screwed up with anger.

“Oh yeah?” Ron yelled back “What’s that?”

“Next time there’s a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!” She turned over her heel and stormed up the girl’s staircase to bed. 

“What?” asked Ron to his brothers who were staring at them

“You can be such a moron sometimes” said Fred. George and Ginny nodded in agreement.


	9. The new teacher

**_Chapter 09_ **

**_The new teacher_ **

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was much quieter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione chat with Ginny about what had happened last night while scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears.

“It was amazing” she said dreamily “and she said she didn’t know that could happen”

“It must be amazing, hearing each other thoughts and sharing your memories too” said Ginny eyeing her brother who was coming down.

“Oh it was, but Dumbledore came and asked her to go with him” she said quietly “I used Harry’s map and saw that they were with Snape at Dumbledore’s office.”

“Really? Snape?” asked Ginny

“Yeah. I fell asleep before she left”

Ron had taken a seat in front of them, and eyed his friend and sister curiously while they spoke to each other. Harry came down and noticed that Ron and Hermione seemed to have reach and unspoken agreement not to discuss their argument. They were being quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal.

Ginny and Harry told Ron and Hermione about the conversation they had overheard between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, but Hermione didn’t seem to find the news that Hagrid was half-giant nearly as shocking as Ron did.

“Well, I thought he must be,” she said shrugging “I knew he couldn’t be pure giant because they’re about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can’t all be horrible… It’s the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves…”

Ron looked as though he would have liked to reply scathingly, but he contented himself with shaking his head disbelievingly while Hermione wasn’t looking.

“Anyway, Harry” said Hermione standing up and giving something to him “I appreciate the gesture, but I’m not needing it anymore and apparently you do, you could have been caught eavesdropping on Hagrid and Madame Maxime” she said in a reproach but smiling to him.

Harry took the pack and studied it, not knowing yet what it was. When Hermione left through the hole in the wall, Ginny whispered something on his ear and he smiled widely at that.

“’Bout time!”

By the time Hermione reached the Great Hall, it was back to its usual arrangements, and it was almost deserted. At the staff table she could see Professor McGongall chatting with Professor Flickwick, and Snape eying her intently.

At the Slytherins’ there were no more than 10 students. At the Hufflepuffs there were only Cedric Diggory and Ernie Macmillan. Hermione searched through the Ravenclaw table, but didn’t see Fleur, so she headed to the Gryffindor table where she took a seat with the twins.

She chatted carelessly with them about the house-elves in the kitchens and didn’t notice that at some point they along with Snape at the staff table, were the only ones left in the Great Hall. Fred and George got up to leave, claiming they had a letter to send when they watched Fleur coming through the wooden doors.

Fleur had being up all night, it bothered her what Professor Dumbledore and Monsieur Snape had asked from her, it was going to be more difficult than facing the dragons and deciphering the egg, which she had managed last night. She saw the twins leaving her Chosen alone, and that Snape was still at the staff table glaring at them.

Hermione felt something she couldn’t describe so she turned around and saw that Fleur was walking toward her, a smile pasted on her beautiful features, the brunette stood up and walked to Fleur too, embracing her when she reached the veela. Fleur returned the hug and leaned in for a kiss.

‘ _I can’t lie to her, they are mad_ ’ She thought to herself

‘ _Then don’t_ ’ thought Hermione upon hearing Fleur’s thoughts again. She took a step back and eyed her blond veela.

“Who is that about?” she asked worried.

“It happened again” said Fleur in a low voice.

“Fleur, are you alright?” said Hermione concerned about Fleur’s reaction, who seemed tired and really sad.

Fleur looked up to the staff table, where she saw Snape getting up, then she looked back to Hermione’s eyes and smiled warmly at her.

“Professor Dumbledore asked me to talk to my mozer into coming to ‘Ogwarts” she said, it was part of what had happened last night.

“Why? And what does Snape has to do with it?”

“Snape?” Fleur paled “Nozing”

“Fleur” said Hermione seriously “I know that last night you were with Snape and Professor Dumbledore at the headmaster’s office” she continued seeing Fleur was nervous “what was that about?”

Fleur tried desperately to find a way out of this, Hermione was getting impatient and was now tapping her right foot over and over again on the floor, her arms not around Fleur anymore.

“Zey asked me to keep concentrated on ze tournament. Snape zought you might be a distraction to me.” She finally said, that was also the truth, at least at some extent. “But do not worry mon ange, I discovered what the egg means” she said grinning.

“And why do they want your mother here?” asked Hermione

“Dumbledore seems to want mozer to give a lecture of sorts” she said, which was also the truth, Dumbledore didn’t think Fleur would be able to explain some things to Hermione.

“A veela?” asked Fleur to Dumbledore, who nodded. “Zat explains ze pull and push I was getting. ‘Er zrall…”

“Her thrall is not fully, operational, yet” interrupted Snape

“What do you know about zralls?” asked Fleur to Snape, who only glared at her

“Let me assure you miss Delacour,” said Dumbledore “that this is not Professor Snape’s first encounter with veelas, and he has an especial interest in making sure that this ends well”

“Therefore, I must insist that you back away, at least for a while” said Snape

“I can’t, not now. The bond ‘as formed” said Fleur gazing at her hands.

“What do you mean? I can’t happen with just a kiss” said an angry Snape

“I don’t know” said Fleur “Mozer didn’t say anyzing like zat could ‘appen.”

“What exactly happen miss Delacour” said Dumbledore

“When we kissed tonight, we shared our mind.” Said Fleur looking up to Dumbledore ‘Er zoughts were mine and mine were ‘ers. We even shared memories”

“Then, the more reason to back off” said Snape “Miss Granger is not prepared for the changes that come with the thrall, and she’s not ready for being a veela, much less to understand what her Chosen means”

“I can tell ‘er all about us, veelas. I can teach ‘er” said Fleur in a pleading tone

“Miss Delacour, I do not think that would be the right thing to do. First off, you are each other’s Chosen, and you still are part of the Tournament, you must focus on the tasks” said Dumbldore

“I could try and tell her, what was told to me” said Snape in low menacing voice

“No,” began Dumbledore “She won’t be hearing anything from you once you tell her who her parents are”

“You know ‘er parents?” asked Fleur looking at Snape, who lowered his gaze.

“Severus is acquainted with them” stated Dumbledore “Miss Delacour, how do you feel about asking you mother to come over?” he asked after a few seconds

“My mozer, professor?” asked Fleur confused

“Yes, she is veela too, so she will be able to explain the changes and everything to miss Granger”

Fleur studied the men in the room for a moment before she finally nodded “I’ll write to her” she said standing up and turning to leave

“Miss Delacour” said Dumbledore “Please don’t tell any of this to Miss Granger”

“You want me to lie to ‘er?” she asked, anger evident in her voice

“We’ll tell her. The changes are bound to happen soon, anyway” said Snape

Fleur glared at him. “Fine, but if you don’t tell ‘er before ze school term begins, I will”

Fleur was lost in thought and Hermione knew there was something more about it than what Fleur was telling her, but decided to let it go, for now. She didn’t want to jeopardize their relationship, when it had barely began. She took Fleur’s hand in hers and walked to the lake, where they laid over a tree.

“So, what is it that I won’t find in any book?” asked Hermione between Fleur’s arms. Fleur smiled at her but kept silent. “mmh?” pushed Hermione

“I’m not supposed to tell you mon ange, not yet” Finally said Fleur.

Hermione smirked deviously, turned around and pressed her lips against Fleur’s

**“Miss Delacour” said Dumbledore “Please don’t tell any of this to Miss Granger”**

When they pulled apart, Fleur looked angry.

“You’re using me” she said and left. Hermione just watched her leave, she was confused now. What had Dumbledore asked Fleur to keep from Hermione? And why?

Fleur had avoided being near Hermione for the rest of the week, Hermione was hurting and even when Fleur knew it was her fault, she managed to keep the distance. Hermione had returned to the kitchens and spent her time there talking to Yeauxy. The brunette also spent time with Harry and Ron as usual, though lately Harry spent much more time with Ginny. And Fred and George tried to cheer her up every time they were around Hermione.

It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over, except Harry and Hermione, who were starting, once again, to feel nervous. The trouble was that February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and he still hadn’t done anything about working out the clue inside the golden egg. Hermione confessed that even when Fleur told her she had figured it out, she hadn’t asked about it, then Harry told her about Cedric’s advice, which she too found odd.

When the first day of the new term arrived, Hermione set off to lessons, feeling rather sad that Fleur had avoided her like the plague since Boxing Day, she realized that maybe this was how Fleur had felt when she had avoided her, but why was Fleur doing it to her, revenge? Not likely. “ _It has to be about what Dumbledore asked of her_.” Hermione tried to convince herself.

Snow was still thick upon the grounds and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn’t see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid’s cabin would catch fire.

When they arrived at Hagrid’s cabin, however, they found a witch with silvery blond hair and amazing blue eyes, all her appearance reminded Hermione of Fleur, and her heart sank.

“’Urry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago” said the witch at them as they struggled toward her through the snow

“Who’re you? Said Ron staring at her “Where’s Hagrid?”

“My name is Professor Apolline Delacour” she said briskly, Hermione froze in amazement “I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures Teacher”

Her accent was not as marked as Fleur’s, but all in all, one could tell that Fleur might have been a clon of this witch.

“Where’s Hagrid?” Harry repeated loudly

“’E’s indisposed” said professor Delacour shortly

Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Hermione’s ear. She turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Apolline Delacour.

“This way, please” said Professor Delacour, and she strode off around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed her, looking back over their shoulders at Hagrid’s cabin. All the curtains were closed.

Professor Delacour led them past the paddock and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.

“Oh it’s so beautiful!” whispered Lavender Brown “How did she get it? They’re supposed to be really hard to catch!”

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around them look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head

“Boys keep back!” barked Professor Delacour throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest “Zey prefer ze woman’s touch, unicorns. Girls to ze front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it…”

She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching. After a few minutes of stroking, Professor Delacour began to enumerate in a loud voice so the boys could hear too, all the magical properties that unicorns carried.

When the lesson ended Hermione tried to speak to the teacher but she had fled away into the castle so fast that Hermione hadn’t had time to react. When she recovered, she turned to Harry and Ron, who were looking blue.

“That was a really good lesson” she said as they entered the Great Hall “I didn’t know half the things Professor Delacour told us about uni…”

“Look at this!” Harry snarled and he shoved the Daily Prophet under Hermione’s nose.

There, she read the article by Rita Skeeter where she disaccredited Hagrid and revealed he was a half-breed giant and reproached Dumbledore’s decision to give said giant a post at Hogwarts. Hermione’s mouth fell open as she read.

“How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don’t’ think Hagrid told her?” she was furious.

“No” said Harry, leading the way over to the Gryffindor table and throwing himself into a chair at Ginny’s side “He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn’t give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get back at him”

“Maybe she heard him telling Madame Maxime at the ball” said Hermione quietly

“We’d have seen her!” said Harry “Anyway, she’s not supposed to come into school anymore, Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her…”

“Maybe she’s got an Invisibility Cloak” said Ron

Hermione was about to reply when a hand on her shoulder made her turn around. She beamed at seeing Fleur standing behind her, and smiling down apologetically.

“A word wiz you, please?” she asked. Hermione smiled nodding. She stood up and was to leave with Fleur when Professor McGonagall approached them

“Miss Granger” said Professor McGonagall “The Headmaster wants to see you in his office” she leaned into her ear and continued “password is guava rolls” then she headed off.

Hermione looked up to Fleur who nodded her head showing she understood. “Just remember I love you mon ange” she said kissing Hermione’s hand and leaving her at the gargoyle leading to Dumbledore’s office.


	10. Words are midgets, actions are GIANTS

**_Chapter 10_ **

**_Words are midgets, actions are GIANTS_ **

Fleur decided she would wait for Hermione, her Chosen surely was going to need her. The veela knew her mother was probably up there with Dumbledore and Snape, ready to explain certain things the Hermione. Surely enough, an hour later Hermione came down and passed the Gargoyle, where upon seeing the blonde waiting there, flew to her arms and began crying.

“Easy mon ange, everyzing’s going to be alright” Began Fleur soothingly.

“I didn’t know” Began Hermione, still crying hard “I didn’t want to…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you” said Fleur

Hermione’s gaze met Fleur’s and the blonde was amazed by the rage that her Chosen’s eyes reflected.

“You knew and you didn’t tell me!” Said Hermione stepping back.

“I couldn’t” Said Fleur “Dumbledore asked me not to”

“So you rather do what he wants instead of… you know what” said Hermione stepping further back. “I hate you…”

“We’ve been zrough zis” interrupted Fleur leaning into Hermione who moved aside “I know you’re angry but you don’t ‘ate me”

“I beg to defer… I hate you lied to me, I hate you keep things from me and I hate you don’t trust me enough to tell me what’s expected from me, therefore I do hate you”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you away, I didn’t mean to ‘urt you” Said Fleur defeated

“I don’t want to be near you, not for now”

With that Hermione turned and left a sobbing Fleur behind. She was hurting too, she really was, but she needed time to sort things out, especially after discovering what she was and who her parents were. ‘ _I need to stay away_ ’

Hermione decided that she had to talk about this to someone, she couldn’t go to Ron because everything would go down from there, Ginny might be helpful but she would just be as stunned as she was, she couldn’t tell Harry because he had to focus on the tasks, the twins would be great company now and they would certainly ensure that no one came near her but what if they began to be affected too…

“No, that is ridiculous, they have proven to be my friends too, so the thrall won’t affect them” With that in mind she set off in search for the Weasley twins who would become her new confidants.

Hermione found them whispering again in a corner in the Gryiffindor common room, Fred noticed her first.

“She seems upset” he said to his brother, making George look up to Hermione.

“Hey” she greeted them “I need a favor to ask” She said with tears again in her eyes, both Weasley twins stared at her, then after a few awkward seconds, George nodded and guided Hermione to another conrner of the Common Room, while Fred began casting silencing charms, notice me not charms and a few others developed by them to stop people from prying.

“All set” said Fred joining his brother. Hermione looked up to them and she let her tears flow freely. Both Fred and George gathered her in their arms and waited patiently for her to calm down.

“Thank you” finally said Hermione half an hour later. “I’m just lost right now” she said sobbing

“What happened?” asked George

“Was it the veela again?” asked Fred getting mad

“We warned her not to hurt you” said George

“And now will have the whole family plotting against her” said Fred

“And we’ll tell Sirius and Lupin” said George

“And she’ll be our target for all our pranks” said Fred

Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at their antics, she knew before but now she was sure they were really her friends, maybe even more than Ron who failed to notice anything concerned to her.

“I don’t think all that’ll be necessary” she said “Maybe the pranks, but just enough to keep her away… for a while” she said smirking

“What did she do?” asked both twins at the same time

“She knew something concerning my past and didn’t tell me” began Hermione “I’m actually mad at her for lying, but I’m angrier at Dumbledore and Snape” The twins shared a look and waited for Hermione to continue. “The truth is that my parents told me this summer that I was adopted, I only spoke about this to your mother and on the Yule Ball with Fleur” The twins were astonished

“Are your biological parents wizards?” asked George. Hermione made a strange face and told them what she had learnt that day in Dumbledore’s office.

A few hours later Hermione had finished explaining to them what she had heard, and what she had researched first and what had happened between her and Fleur since Yule Ball too.

“Blimey!” said Fred

“And the old bat” began George

“Knew all along?” asked Fred. Hermione nodded.

“Ok, this explains a lot of things” said George

“Like the staring” said Fred

“He was waiting and watching for the changes” said George.

“That makes sense” concluded Hermione “But still he shouldn’t have said all those awful things about me”

“Well, you did say he’s a former Death Eater” said Fred

“And that he was trying to protect you after your mother…” said George, but cut himself in midsentence.

“I know, after my mother died” said Hermione realizing what he was about to say.

“Anyway, we’re here for you, ain’t we Fred?”

“Indeed my dear brother. Whatever you need Mione, we’re right here” said Fred grinning at his friend.

“Thanks” said Hermione smiling “Both of you are great. I just need to keep them all off my back”

“Done!” said the twins

“I reckon the hardest will be Professor Delacour, I can’t skip class” said Hermione

“We’ll be right at your side” said Fred

“Yeah, like before” said George

“We’ll escort you everywhere” said both of them

True to their word, the Weasley twins were always near Hermione, and whenever Ron or Harry left her alone, she was escorted to the library by the twins, who discovered that it was a great place for plotting; you only had to avoid Madame Pince. And when she was not in the library, she was in the kitchens again, Fred and George were amazed by the fact that the house-elves all liked Hermione and that she had befriended a few of them.

The twins managed to convince Yeuxy and a few others to keep a close eye to what Hermione ate, they were concerned about her health, especially after a chat they had with Snape after their Potions class.

“Misters Weasley, a moment please” said Snape when the class was over.

The Weasley twins remained in their seats, and were a little worried, they hadn’t done or said anything antagonizing towards the Potions Master in order to stay away from detention and be there with Hermione. When they were the only ones left, Snape approached them.

“I’ve noticed that you seem to be closer to Miss Granger” the twins nodded

“She’s our friend” said both of them

“I see” said Snape “What are your intentions with her?” he asked

“Intentions, sir?” asked Fred.

“What is it that you pretend to gain from being close to her?” said Snape loosing his patience.

“Oh” said George “We care about her”

“We just want to help her” said Fred

“Then, you should make sure that she eats properly” said Snape “She’s eating less than usual”

“So now you care” said George defiantly. Snape stared at him.

“You better not speak about things you don’t fully understand” snarled Snape

“Hermione told us” said Fred

“And we know about the thrall” said George

“And about you, sir” finished both

“Just make sure she eats. Dismissed” said Snape angrily.

That week, they payed close attention to Hermione’s eating habits and they noticed that she barely ate. That’s why they asked Yeuxy to make sure Hermione ate when ever she was in the kitchens, and they usually brought snacks to her.

Hermione also spent a lot of time in the second floor lavatory, with Moaning Myrtle. She was a weird ghost, but good company all in all. Hermione realized that Myrtle was just lonely and that was why she acted that way.

One day, The Daily Prophet published yet another nasty article by Rita Skeeter, this time she made public that Hagrid was a half giant. No one knew how she got her information, however that evening after dinner, Ron, Harry and Hermione, went down through the frozen grounds to Hagrid’s cabin. They knocked and Fang’s booming barks answered.

“Hagrid, it’s us!” Harry shouted, pounding on the door “Open up!”

Hagrid didn’t answer. They could hear Fang scratchin at the door, whinning, but it didn’t open. They hammered on it for the minutes; Ron even went an banged on one of the windows but there was no response.

“What’s he avoiding us for?” Hermione said when they had finally given up and were walking back to the school. “He surely doesn’t think we’d care about him being half-giant?”

But it seemed that Hagrid did care. They didn’t see a sign of him all week. He didn’t appear at the staff table at mealtimes, they didn’t see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds, and Professor Delacour continued to take the Care of Magical Creatures classes.

Apolline Delacour also tried continually to speak with Hermione Granger on behalf of her and her daughter’s health. If they remained apart much longer, their health would become worse that it already was. Hermione secretly, even to the twins, went each night to Snape’s office for a special nutrient potion, breaded for her special veela needs. Snape was becoming anxious about it and wanted to tell Dumbledore about it, but the condition Miss Granger had gave in order to let him help her, was not to tell anyone about it.

Fleur had being experimenting certain troubles in her health too, but she knew what had to be done to help, and some ways to slow it down, so she and her mother made her potions and continually went to Madame Pomfrey.

There was a Hogsmeade visit by the end of January. Hermione was very surprised Harry was going to go.

“I just thought you’d want to take advantage of the common room being quiet” she said “Really get to work on that egg”

“Oh I… I reckon I’ve got a pretty good idea what it’s about now.” Harry lied

“Have you really?” said Hermione looking impressed “Well done!”

Harry’s insides gave a guilty squirm, but he ignored them. He still had five weeks to work out the egg clue, after all, and that was ages… whereas if he went into Hogsmeade, he might run into Hagrid and get a chance to persuade him to come back.

Hermione, Ron and Harry left he castle together on Saturday and set off though the cold, wet grounds toward the gates. As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher that he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into the lake.

“He’s mad!” said Ron, staring at Krum’s dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of the lake. “It must be freezing, its’ January!”

“It’s a lot colder where he comes from” said Hermione “I suppose it feels quite warm to him”

“Yeah, but there’s still the giant squid” said Ron. He didn’t sound anxious, if anything he sounded hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned.

“He’s really nice you know” she said “He’s not at all like you’d think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me” Hermione, in order to avoid being near Fleur, had also spent more time with Krum, getting to know him. Ron said nothing. He hadn’t mentioned Viktor Krum since the ball.

Harry kept his eyes skinned for a sign of Hagrid all the way down the slushy High Street, and suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks once he had ascertained that Hagrid was not in any of the shops.

The pub was crowded as ever, but one quick look around at all the tables told Harry that Hagrid wasn’t there. Heart sinking, the three of them went to the bar and ordered a butter beer each from Madam Rosmerta.

“Doesn’t he ever go into the office?” Hermione whispered suddenly “Look!”

She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Harry saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing.

It was indeed odd that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. They were watching him and just then Bagman glanced over the bar, saw Harry and stood up.

“In a moment, in a moment!” They heard him say brusquely to the goblins while he hurried through the pub toward Harry

“Harry!” he said “How are you? Been hoping to run into you!” Everything going all right?”

“Find thanks” said Harry

“Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?” said Bagman eagerly “You couldn’t give us a moment, you two, could you?”

“Er… okay” said Ron, and he and Hermione went off to find a table.

Hermione noticed that Fleur was there too, actually she knew the blond was there since the trio set foot into the pub, but she just acknowledged her. ‘ _It’s not like I had a choice. Ronald chose to sit right in front of her table_ ’ She thought scowling at the blond.

Fleur smirked and stood up, motioning toward Hermione. Fred and George who had just came in, stepped in her way and glared at the blond who had no choice but to leave the pub, she didn’t want to use her thrall to get pass them. The twins smiled at Hermione and then noticed that Harry was talking to Bagman over the bar, so they went over there.

A few minutes later, Harry rejoined Ron and Hermione.

“What did he want?” Ron said the moment Harry had sat down

“He offered to help me with the golden egg” said Harry

“He shouldn’t be doing that!” said Hermione, looking very shocked. “He’s one of the judges!” and anyway, you’ve already worked it out… haven’t you Harry?”

“Er… nearly” said Harry

“Well, I don’t think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!” said Hermione, still looking deeply disapproving “I hope he’s trying to help Cedric as much!”

“He’s not, I asked” said Harry

“Who cares if Diggory’s getting help?” said Ron. Harry privately agreed.

“Those goblins didn’t look very friendly” said Hermione, sipping her butterbeer. “What were they doing here?”

“Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman” said Harry “He’s still ill. Hasn’t been into work”

“Maybe Percy’s poisoning him” said Ron “Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he’ll be made Head of the Department of International Cooperation.”

Hermione gave Ron ad don’t-joke-about-things-like-that look, and said “Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch… They’d normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures”

“Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though” said Harry “Maybe they need an interpreter”

“Worrying about poor ickle goblins, now, are you?” Ron asked Hermione “Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?”

“Ha ha ha” said Hermione sarcastically. “Goblins don’t need protection. Haven’t you been listenting to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?”

“No” said Harry and Ron together.

“Well, they’re quite capable of dealing with wizards” said Hermione, taking another sip of butterbeer. “They’re very clever. They’re not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves”

“Uh-oh” said Ron staring at the door

Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and was accompanied by her paunchy photographer.

They had a confrontations with her, regarding Hagrid and how the only thing Rita was good at was ruining everyone else’s lives. The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar.

Rita Skeeter’s smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she napped open her handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes-Quill and said “How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reason behind it Would you call him a father substitute?”

Hermione stood up abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade.

“You horrible woman” she said, through gritted teeth, “you don’t care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won’t they? Even Ludo Bagman…”

“Sit down you silly little girl, and don’t talk about things you don’t understand” said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. “I know things about Ludo Bagmanthat would make your hair curl… not that it needs it…” she added eyeing Hermione’s bushy hair.

Hermione snarled at her and her eyes seemed to glow yellow, something only the twins noticed, which made them rush toward her.

“Let’s go Hermione” said Fred grabbing her by the arm

“C’mon Harry, Ron…” said George

They left; many people were staring at them as they went. Harry glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter’s Quick-Quotes-Quill was out; it was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table.

“She’ll be after you next, Hermione” said Ron in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street.

“Let her try!” said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage “I’ll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I’ll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid…”

“You don’t want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter” said Ron nervously

“He’s right ya know” said Fred still holding her arm

“She’ll dig up something on you…” said George worriedly

“My parents don’t read the Daily Prophet. She can’t scare mi into hiding!” said Hermione, now striding along so fast that it was all the boys could do to keep up with her.

The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy around the face.

“And Hagrid isn’t hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him!” She yelled at them “Come on!”

Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid’s cabin. The curtains were still drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.

“Hagrid!” Hermione shouted pounding on his front door. “Hagrid, that’s enough! We know you’re in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid!” The boys were amused at Hermione’s actions. The twins knew that her temper should be worse than ever, especially now that the thrall was more apparent. She had told them that Snape said that veelas were always protective of the ones they care the most. So they let her yell at Hagrid. “You can’t let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you Hagrid! Get out here, you’re just being…” The door opened “About t…!” and then she stopped her ranting, she had found herself face-to-face not with Hagrid but with Albus Dumbledore.

“Good afternoon” he said pleasantly, smiling down at them

“We… we… ah… we wanted to see Hagrid” said Hermione in a rather small voice.

“Yes, I surmised as much” said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. “Why don’t you come in?”

“Oh, um, ok” said Ron

Harry and Ron went inside, the twins bid her goodbye and told her to keep it cool. When she was about to enter, Dumbledore said softly to her “I see your mood is finally catching up” Hermione blushed and then closed the door.

Hagrid was sitting at his table, where there were two large mugs of tea. He looked a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair looked like a wig of tangled wire.

“Hi, Hagrid” said Harry

“Lo” said Hagrid looking up.

“More tea, I think” said Dumbledore, who magicked the tray onto the table and everybody sat dwon. There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said “Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?”

Hermione blushed again, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued “Hermione, Harry and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door”

“Of course we do” Harry said staring at Hagrid

Hermione nodded and continued “You don’t think anything that Skeeter bitch… sorry Professor” she added quickly looking at Dumbledore

“I have gone temporarily deaf and haven’t any idea what you said Miss Granger” said Dumbledore, twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ceiling

“Uh… right” said Hermione sheepishly “I just meant Hagrid, how could you think we’d care what that… woman… wrote about you?”

Tow fat tears leaked out of Hagrid’s beetle-black eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard.

“Living proof of what I’ve been telling you, Hagrid” said Dumbledore, still looking carefully up at the ceiling. “I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it…”

“Not all of ‘em” said Hagrid hoarsely “Not all of ‘em wan’ me ter saty”

“Really, Hagrid!” yelled Hermione, but kept quiet when Dumbledore set a calming hand on her shoulder.

“If you are holding out for universal popularity, I’m afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time” said Dumbledore. “Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven’t had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?”

“Yeh… yeh’re not half-giant!” said Hagrid croakily. Hermione growled at that.

“Hagrid, look what I’ve got for relatives!” Harry said furiously “Look at the Dursleys!”

“An excellent point!” Said Dumbledore “My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I’m not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery…”

Hagrid gulped. More tears leaked out down his cheeks and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood up

“I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid. And I expect you back at work on Monday” he said “You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all”

The trio spent the rest of the evening enjoying their time with Hagrid, who seem considerably better now. He even showed them a picture of himself and his father.


	11. A Powerful Muscle

**_Chapter 11_ **

**_A Powerful Muscle_ **

“You said you’d already worked out that egg clue!” said Hermione indignantly.

“Keep your voice down!” said Harry crossly “I just need to… sort of fine-tune it, all right?”

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the very back of the Charms class with a table to themselves. They were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm today, the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn’t hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn’t working very well. Neville’s aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room… Professor Flitwick, for instance.

Harry had try to tell them all about he seeing Barty Crouch on the Maurader’s Map, he was supposedly at Snape’s office and that while going there to find out, Harry was caught by Snape and Moody.

“Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?” Harry hissed as Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly past them, landing on top of a large cabinet. “I’m trying to tell you about Snape and Moody…”

This class was an ideal cover for a private conversation, as everyone was having far too much fun to pay them any attention. Harry had been recounting his adventures of the previous night in whispered installments for the last half hour.

“Snape said Moody’s searched his office as well?” Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his want. “What… d’you reckon Moody’s here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?”

“Well, I dunno if that’s what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he’s definitely doing it” said Harry, waving his wand without paying much attention, so that his cushion did an odd sort of belly flop off the desk. “Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he’s giving him a second chance or something…”

“What?” said Ron, his eyes widening, his next cushion spinning high into the air, ricocheting off the chandelier, and dropping heavily onto Flitwick’s desk. “Harry… maybe Moddy thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!”

“Oh Ron” said Hermione sahking her head skeptically “He didn’t. Besides, we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry’s life, remember?”

She banished a cushion and it flew across the room and landed in the box they were all supposed to be aiming at. Harry looked at Hermione, thinking… it was true that Snape had saved his life, more than once, but the odd thing was, Snape definitely loathed him. He loved taking points from Harry, and had certainly never missed an opportunity to give him punishments, or eve to suggest that he should be suspended from the school.

“I don’t care what Moody says” Hermione went on “Dumbledore’s not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn’t have given them jobs, so why shouldn’t he be right about Snape, even if he’s a bit…”

“Evil· said Ron promptly “Come on Hermione, why are all these Dark Wizard catchers searching his office, then?”

“Why has Mr. Crouch been pretending to be ill?” said Hermione ignoring Ron. “It’s a bit funny, isn’t it? That he can’t manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?”

“You just don’t like Crouch because of that elf, Winky” said Ron, sending a cushion soaring into the window

“YOU just want to think Snape’s up to something” said Hermione, sending her cushion zooming neatly into the box.

“I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he’s on his second one” said Harry grimly, and his cushion, to his very great surprise, flew straight across the room and landed neatly on top of Hermione’s.

“ _He endangered my life, but he also saved me_ ” Thought Hermione to herself.

That night Harry sent an owl to Sirius explaining all about Mr. Crouch breaking into Snapes’s office, and Moody and Snape’s conversation. Then they turned their attention to the most urgent problem, how to make Harry survive underwater for an hour onf the twenty-fourth of February.

So Harry, thinking htat he would soon have had enough of the library to last him a lifetime, buried himself once more among the dusty volumes, looking for any spell that might enable a human to survive without oxygen. However, though he, Ron and Hermione searched through their lunchtimes, evenings and whole weekends, they found nothing whatsoever that would enable Harry to spend an hour underwater and live to tell the tale.

Just as it had before the first task, time was slipping away as though somebody had bewitched the clocks to go extra fast. There was a week to go before February the twenty-forth… then there were five days to go… three days now.

Fleur had managed to catch glimpses of Hermione and his friends trying to help Harry, and even when she had tried insistently to speak with her Chosen, Hermione seemed determined to not let her in again. Fleur asked her mother a favor, she had to convince Hermione to make a bet again, not for their future together, but in order to help her from hurting herself. Professor Delacour was no longer teaching Care of Magical Creatures, however she had stayed at Hogwarts on behalf of her Veela teachings to the young one. Hermione reluctantly agreed to special lessons with her, but just to keep Dumbledore and Snape off her back.

“My daughter wishes to speak to you, ‘Ermione” said Apolline Delacour to Hermione one night after the brief lesson.

“Well, I don’t” said Hermione ready to leave for dinner.

“Then on her behalf, I dare you to accept a bet” Said Apolline

“I don’t like gambling, therefore I’m done with the bets”

“This one will interest you” said Apolline smirking. “Fleur will not come last in the Second Task… If she does, she’ll leave you alone forever. However if she’s not last, you’ll have to listen to her. Let me assure you, it’s not about your relationship, but about your health”

Hermione thought that over for a few minutes. She wanted to talk to Fleur again, but she was mad at the blond for lying. And if this was not about them, but about her health, she ought to listen, especially after the strange markings on her back, which Myrtle had pointed out for her.

“I’ll only talk to her if she comes first” said Hermione, turning to leave. At the door she decided to add something “Until then, I do not wish to know about her, and if she’s not first, I wish for her to leave me alone, forever”

Apolline smirked, Fleur and Professor Snape were right, Hermione Granger was a stubborn young witch.

With two days left, Harry started to go off food again. The only good thing about breakfast on Monday was the return of the brown owl he had sent to Sirius. He pulled off the parchment, unrolled it and saw the shortest letter Sirius had ever written to him.

_Send date of next Hogsmeade weekend by return owl._

Harry turned the parchment over and looked at the back, hoping to see something else, but it was blank.

“Weekend after next” whispered Hermione, who had read the note over Harry’s shoulder. “Here… take my quill and send this owl back straight away”

Harry scribbled the dates down on the back of Sirius’s letter, tied it onto the brown owl’s leg, and watched it take flight again.

“What’s he want to know about the next Hogsmeade-weekend for?” said Ron

“Dunno” said Harry dully.

“Come on… Care of Magical Creatures” said Hermione noticing that Fleur was walking toward them, a determined look on her face.

Fleur had every intention to keep her end of the deal. But she loved Hermione and after her little chat with Myrtly, she decided that she rather live with Hermione hating her, than with Hermione death.

The blond veela had been experimenting back aches, and had decided to keep it low. She usually was in the second floor lavatory, mainly when Hermione was not around. That morning the ache had been so extreme, that she had to take off some of her clothes when she felt the burning sensation on her flesh. Myrtle had come out of a stall upon hearing the cries of pain, and when those cries had subsided, she approached Fleur with a smirk on her ghostly face.

“Is that a lover’s thing?” she asked. Fleur just stood there, she was trying to watch her back reflected on the mirrors. Upon it, there was some sort of tattoo. It was a weird bird, and was taking form all over her back. “Hermione’s got them worse and her tattoo is almost black now!”

When Fleur’s mind registered what Myrtle had said, she quickly dressed and went straight to the Great Hall, where Hermione was surely having breakfast with her friends. Sure enough she catch her Chosen at the entrance of the Great Hall, trying to leave again.

“Oh no mademoiselle Granger! Tu n’est pas en train de partir!” she said angry and grabbing Hermione by her arm.

The Weasley twins instantly at their sides, as well as equally stunned Ron and Harry.

“Let go of me!” said Hermione “I’m going to be late for my class”

“You’re not going to your class today!” said Fleur dragging Hermione out. The twins tried to free Hermione but were met by a cold gaze from Fleur. “Some friends!”

“What do you mean?” asked Fred

“We’re trying to help her yah know!” said George

“Yeah? Well ‘Ermione, why don’t you tell them about your back problem?” asked an irritated Fleur

Hermione paled. “Ron, Harry… go to class. I’ll catch up with you later.” She said to her friends, then she turned to the twins. “I’ll be fine. Thanks”

After the twins warily left, Fleur try to drag Hermione again.

“And where do you think we’re going!?” Demanded Hermione once alone in a corridor.

“To see Madame Pomfrey, of course” Said Fleur, still angry. “Why didn’t you tell about it?”

“Why should I tell you!” demanded Hermione “And I won’t go to Madame Pomfrey!” she added freeing herself from Fleur’s gasp.

“Zis is serious ‘Ermione!” said Fleur. “I do not want you to die!”

“Die?” said Hermione “You’re overreacting”

“Overreacting? You think that mark on your back is overreacting?” Said Fleur “I worry about you!” she yelled “Please, lets just go to ze infirmary and let Madame Pomfrey decide if it’s overreacting or not. Zen I’ll leave you alone”

“I’m not going to Madame Pomfrey. As far as I remember, she doesn’t know what I am” said Hermione in a low voice

“Zen lets talk to my mozer” pleaded Fleur

Hermione shook her head. “I’ll take care of it”

“How?” asked Fleur, tears in her eyes “Myrtle said yours is almost black. Zat’s not good at all”

“Myrtle?” asked Hermione. Fleur nodded “I’ll go to Professor Snape” added Hermione. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go”

When Hermione told Snape about the back aches, the burning flesh and the tattoo on her back, the Potions Master was walking around the dungeons, rage evident on his features.

“You should have come sooner” he said when he managed to calm down.

“I didn’t think it would be a bad thing” replied Hermione

“That seems to be the problem. You. Didn’t. Think.” Said Snape handing Hermione a potion.

Hermione recognized it as the one she had brewed during her detention with him. “So that’s why you made me brew it” she said

“I was hoping you wouldn’t have to use it” said Snape in a defeated tone. “You must take this twice a day” When Hermione turned to leave, Snape put a hand on her shoulder. “I suggest you do drink them, or I’ll ask the Weasleys to force you” Hermione smiled and left the dungeons.

By the evening before the second task, Harry felt as though he was trapped in a nightmare. He was fully aware that even if he managed to find a suitable spell, he’d have a real job mastering it overnight. How could he have let this happen? Why hadn’t he got to work on the egg’s clue sooner like Hermione had suggested?

He sat with Hermione and Ron in the library as the sun set outside, tearing feverishly though page after page of spells, hidden from one another by the massive piles of books on the desk in front of each of them.

“I don’t reckon it can be done” said Ron’s voice flatly from the other side of the table. “There’s nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake.”

“There must be something” Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of _Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes_ with her nose about an inch from the page. “They’d never have set a task that was undoable” she said more to herself than the others.

She had spent that day with Yeauxy, talking about what Snape told her and what had happened between Fleur and herself the day before. She felt so confused and upon seeing Harry had yet to find a way to breathe underwater, she wondered how would Fleur do it. She was worried about her, and she missed her so much.

“Don’t fight the heart, miss” had said Yeaxy when Hermione left in search of her friends. “It’s a powerful little muscle”

And now, here she was in the library, worrying over Harry and over Fleur again.

“They have” said Ron. “Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they’ve nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate”

“There’s a way of doing it!” Hermione said crossly “There just has to be!”

She seemed to be taking the library’s lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.

“I should’ve learned to be an Animagus, like Sirius” said Harry resting his face down on a book.

“Yeah, you could’ve turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!” said Ron

“Or a frog” yawned Harry. He was exhausted.

“It takes years to become an Animagus, and they you have to register yourself and everything.” Said Hermione vaguely. “Professor McGonagall told us, remember… you’ve got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office… what animal you become, and your markings, so you can’t abuse it…”

“Hermione, I was joking” said Harry warily “I know I haven’t got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning…”

“Oh, this is no use” Hermione said, snapping shut her book. “Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?”

“I wouldn’t mind” said Fred Weasley’s voice. “Be a talking point, wouldn’t it?”

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up. Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves.

“What’re you two doing here?” Ron asked

“Loking for you” said George “McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione”

“Why?” said Hermione, looking surprised

“Dunno… she was looking a bit grim, though” said Fred

“And Snape was grimmer than usual, too” added George

“We’re supposed to take you down to her office” said Fred

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry, who felt his stomach drop. Was Professor McGonagall about to tell Ron and Hermione off?

“We’ll meet you back in the common room” Hermione told Harry as she got up to go with Ron. “Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?”

“Right” said Harry uneasily

Then, while leaving the library, Fred produced a small vial from his clothes and handed it to Hermione, who looked warily at it.

“Snape said you’d know what it is” said Fred

Hermione took it and when both Ron and herself were in McGonagall’s office, she drank it’s contents without Ron noticing.


	12. The Second Task

**_Chapter 12_ **

**_The Second Task_ **

Fleur glanced at the seats that had encircled the dragons’ enclosure in November which were now packed by the Hogwarts population. She kept looking for a certain bushy head, but she couldn’t find her anywhere, apparently the twins were also scanning the crowd searching for her. Fleur glanced at her mother who looked down and when the young veela turned her gaze to Madame Maxime and her headmistress also looked down, Fleur’s heart stopped. She had figured that the clue meant something a little more than material stuff, however, she wasn’t expecting for the merpeople to keep people down there.

“I’m… here…” Harry panted, skidding to a halt in the mud and accidentally splattering Fleur’s robes.

“Is ‘Ermione up in ‘er rooms?” she whispered to him while casting a cleaning spell on her robes. The boy who lived shook his head and glanced toward the lake, confirming Fleur’s suspicions.

“Where had you been?” said a bossy, disapproving voice. “The task’s about to start!” Harry looked around. Percy Weasley was sitting at the judges’ table in Crouch’s place.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry, but Karkaroff and Madame Maxime didn’t look at all pleased to see him… Ludo Bagman was now moving among the champions, spacing them along the bank at intervals of then feet. When he finished a brief talk with the boy who lived, he returned to the judges’ table; he pointed his wand at his throat, casted a Sonorus and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

“Well, all our champions are ready for the Second Task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely and hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three then. One… two… three!”

The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause. Fluer cast a buble charm on her head and saw that Diggory had chosen to do the same, while Krum transfigured himself into a shark like creature and Potter seemed to be stuffing something into his mouth, she had no time to spare and watch what the boy had done, so she dove into the lake.

The water enveloping her body was icy cold, but she didn’t mind, she had to retrieve her Chosen from the merpeople and she had to come first or she wouldn’t listen to her about her health. She decided to cast a velocity spell on her body, and dove deeper into the darkness of the lake.

Silence pressed upon her ears as she soared over a strange, dark, foggy landscape. She could only see ten feet around her, so that as she sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the oncoming darkness: forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones. She swam deeper and deeper, out toward the middle of the lake, her eyes searching frantically for any other sign to find Hermione.

Light green weed stretched ahead of her as far as she could see, like a meadow of very overgrown grass. Fleur was staring ahead trying to discern shapes through the gloom… and then without warning, something grabbed hold of her ankle.

Fleur twisted her body around and saw a grindylow, a small, horned water demon, poking out of the weed, its long fingers clutched tightly around her leg. She pointed her wand at it and fired sparks at the demon. Then she pulled her ankle out of the grindylow's grip and swam as fast as she could, when she finally slowed down she realized that she had no idea where she was or how to guide herself to Hermione.

“How are you getting on?” Fleur thought she was having a heart attack. She whipped around and saw Mirtly floating hazily in front of her. “You want to try over there!” she said, pointing “I’ll help Harry to get here too… Hermione is also my friend. I won’t come with you… I don’t like them much…”

Fleur gave her a nod to show her thanks and set off once more, careful to swim a bit higher over the weed to avoid any more grindylows that might be lurking there. She swam on for what felt like hours. She was passing over vast expanses of black mud now, which swirled murkily as she disturbed the water. Then, at long last, she heard a snatch of haunting mersong.

Fleur swam faster and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid (which she fortunately had not seen yet).

Fleur swam on past the rock following the mersong. A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, she saw faces.

The merpople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Fleur as she swam past. Fleur sped on, staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and she even saw a pet grindylow tied to a stake outside one door.

Fleur sped around a corner and a very strange sight met her eyes. A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people wre bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept using from their mouths.

The Weasley boy was tied between Diggory’s date at the Yule Ball and her Chosen, and a her Chosen’s side was “ _Gaby!_ ” realized the veela

Fleur sped toward the hostages, half expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at her, but they did nothing. The ropes of weed trying the hostages to the statue were thick, slimy and very strong. She looked around to the merpeople surrounding them. She swam swiftly toward a seven-foot-tall merman with long green beard and a choker of shark fangs and tried to mime a request to borrow the spear. The merman laughed and shook his head.

“We do not help” he said in a harsh croaky voice.

Fleur tried to pull the spear away from him but the merman yanked it back, still shaking his head and laughing. The veela swirled around, staring about. Something sharp…anything… There were rocks littering the lake bottom. She dived and snatched a particularly jagged one and returned to the statue. She began to hack at the ropes binding Gabrielle, and after several minutes of hard work, they broke apart. Gabrielle floated, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water.

Fleur looked around. There was no sign of any of the other champions. _“What are they playing at? Why don’t they hurry up?”_ She turned back to Hermione, raised the jagged rock and began to hack at her bindings too… At once, several pairs of strong gray hands seized her. Half dozen mermen were pulling her away from Hermione, shaking their green-haired heads, and lauging.

“You take your own hostage” one of them said to her “Leave the others…”

“No way!” said Fleur furiously.

“Your task is to retrieve your own treasure… leave the others…”

“She’s my treasure too!” Fleur yelled, gesturing toward Hermione. She struggled to fight off the mermen, but they laughed harder than ever, holding her back. Fleur looked wildly around. “She is MY Chosen” she said breaking free, then she pointed to Gabrielle “And she is my sister”

The merpeople seemed to hesitate for a moment, then the elder one spoke again “Your Chosen, young veela, was not selected for you to retrieve.” The merpoeple around her pointed excitedly over her head. Fleur looked up and saw Harry swimming toward them. He looked like a strange human with gills and flippers.

“Got lost!” he mouthed, looking panic-stricken “Cedric and Krum are coming now!”

Feeling slightly relieved, Fleur handed Harry the rock she had used to free Gaby, and let him to free the Weasley boy. Then he hesitated realizing that Hermione was there too and that Fleur had not freed her yet. The boy who lived glared reproachingly at the veela who in turn pointed to the little blond girl.

“She’s my sister”

Harry seemed to understand Fleur’s predicament. Nodded to her and then pulled Ron upward with him and out of sight.

Fleur looked around, waiting. Where were Krum and Diggory? Time was getting short, and according to the song, the hostages would be lost after an hour…

The merpeople stared screeching animatedly. Those keeping Fleur from Hermione began staring behind them. Fleur turned and saw something monstrous cutting through the water toward them: a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark… It was Krum. _“So his transfiguration went badly”_ she smirked relieved that he had arrived, but angry and jealous by the fact that he was the one who was going to save HER Chosen.

The shark-man swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes, the trouble was that Krum’s new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin, and Fleur was sure that if Krum wasn’t careful, he was going to rip Hermione in half. Darting forward, Fleur hit Krum hard on the choulder and held up the jagged stone that Harry had given her back. Krum seized it and began to cut Hermione free. Within seconds, he had done it; he grabbed Hermione around the waist and without a backward glance, began to rise rapidly with her toward the surface.

“ _I suppose I can go now_ ” Fleur thought desperately. But when she noticed that there was still no sign of Diggory, there was nothing to be done except…

She snatched up the stone, which Krum had dropped, but the mermen now closed around her sister and the girl Chang, shaking their heads at her. Fleur pulled out her wand.

“Get out of the way!” she yelled.

Their yellowish eyes were fixed upon Fleur’s wand and they looked scared. There might be a lot more of them, but Fleur could tell, by the look of their faces that they knew no more magic than a fish.

“You’ve got until three!” Fleur shouted holding up three fingers to make sure they got the message. “One…” she put down a finger “two…” she put down a second one…

They scattered. Fleur darted forward and began to hack at the ropes binding Chang to the statue, and at last she was free. She seized her sister around the waist, grabbed the neck of Chang’s robes, and kicked off from the bottom.

It was very slow work. She could no longer use her hands to propel herself forward, she worked her feet furiously, but her sister and Chang were like potato-filled sacks dragging her back down…. She fixed her eyes skyward, though she knew she must still be very deep, the water above them was so dark…

Merpeople were rising with her. She could see them swirling around her with ease, watching her struggle through the water…. Would they pull her back down to the depths when the time was up? Fleur’s legs were seizing up with the effort to keep swimming, her shoulders were aching horribly with the effort.

She was drawing breath with extreme difficulty. She could feel pain on the sides of her stomach. Fleur kicked her legs so hard and fast it felt as though her muscles were screaming in protest; her very brain felt waterlogged, her bubble charmed had began to fade and she couldn’t breathe now, she needed oxygen, she had to keep going, she could not stop…

And then, she felt her head break the surface of the lake; wonderful, cold, clear air was making her wet face sting, she gulped it down, feeling as though she had never breathed properly before, and, panting, pulled Chang and Gabrielle up with her. All around her, wild, green-haired heads were emerging out of the water with her, but they were smiling at her.

The crowd in the stands was making a great deal of noise, shouting and screaming, they all seemed to be on their feet. Fleur had the impression they thought that Chang and her sister might be dead, but they were wrong… both of them had opened their eyes; Chang looked scared and confused, but Gaby merely expelled a great spout of water, blinked in the bright light, turned to her sister and said in French “It certainly is cold” then she spotted Chang “Is that her? I had another impression about her”

Fleur shook her head “She’s not my Chosen”

“Then what did you bring her for?” asked Gabrielle

“Diggory didn’t turn up, I couldn’t leave her” Fleur panted.

“I hope you didn’t waste time down there acting the heroine!” spatted Gabrielle

Fleur felt annoyed. I was all very well for Gaby, she’d been asleep, she hadn’t felt how eerie it was down in the lake, surrounded by spear-carrying merpeople who’d looked more than capable of murder.

“Come on” Fleur said shortly “We should swim to the shore” then turning back to English, she addressed Chang “‘Ow you feeling? Up for a little swim?” Chang nodded and the trio swam to the shore.

They pulled Fleur’s sister through the water, back toward the bank where the judges stood watching, twenty merpeople accompanying them like a guard of honor, singing their horrible screechy songs.

Diggory looked very white and came splashing out to meet them. Meanwhile Madame Maxime was trying to restrain Apolline Delacour, who was quite hysterical, fighting tooth and nail to get to the water. 

“Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is he ‘urt! You didn’t say she was going to be down there!”

“She’s fine” Fleur tried to tell her but she was so exhausted she could hardly talk, let alone shout.

Dumbledore was pulling Fleur upright; Apolline had broken free of Madame Maxime and was hugging Gabrielle. Fleur could see Madam Pomfrey fussing over Harry, Ron, Krum and Hermione. All of whom were wrapped in thick blankets. She felt a pang of jealousy again when she noticed Krum speaking sweetly to her Chosen. They locked gazes in each other for a moment.

“Come here, you” said Madam Promfrey. She seized Fleur and pulled her over to Hermione and the others, wrapped her so tightly in a blanket that she felt as though she was in a straightjacket, and forced a measure of very hot potion down her throat. 

Dumbledore was crouching the water’s edge deep in conversation with what seemed the chief of the merpeople. He was making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water. Finally, Dumbledore straightened up, turned to his fellow judges and said “A conference before we give marks, I think”

The judges went into a huddle. Madam Pomfrey had gone to rescue Gabrielle from her mother’s clutches, she led her over to the others, gave her a blanket and some Pepperup Potion, then went to fetch Diggory and Chang. Cedric had many cuts on his face and arms, and his robes were torn, but he didn’t seem to care, nor would he allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them.

“Look after Cho” he told her, and then he turned to Fleur. “You saved her” he said breathlessly “Even when she was not your hostage”

“Oui” said Fleur who was now heartily wishing she’d been first to the task.

“Thanks” said Diggory, he turned back to Cho.

Then, Fleur and Hermione gazed at each other again, both with a sad smile on their faces.

“I..” began Fleur lowering her head “I’ll be…” tears began to form in her eyes “I was not first in the task… But I’m glad you’re safe” she said and let her tears fall free while looking up again.

“You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny” said Krum. Fleur had the impression that Krum was drawing Hermione’s attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he had just rescued her from the lake, but Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently.

“You’re well outside the limit Fleur. Did it take you ages to find the spot?” she asked annoyed

“Non… I found you okay…”

Hermione looked simply furious, but when Fleur began sobbing, the bushy know-it-all smiled softly at her. “It does not matter anymore… I… I un-hate you” said Hermione, not quite sure where that word had come from.

“You do?” asked Fleur, while Hermione walked to her and nodded, but just then, Ludo Bagman’s magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands go very quiet.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Marcus has told us exactly what had happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions as follows…

“Cedric Diggory, though he demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as he approached his goal, and failed to retrieve his hostage. We award him twenty-five points”

Applause from the stands could be heard.

“Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect and was the first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour” Enormous cheers from the Gryffindors in the crowd, Fleur saw Harry looked Ginny Weasley a glowing look. “We therefore award him forty-five points”

Fleur’s heart sank. If Harry had been outside the time limit, she most certainly had been.

“Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points”

Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.

“Fleur Delacour, who as Diggory also satisfactorily used the Bubble-Head Charm, was the last to return, and well outside the time limit of an hour” Bagman paused, clearly not too happy with what he was about to say “However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Miss Delacour was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in her return was due to her determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely her own”

Gabrielle, Apolline and specially Hermione gave Fleur halp-exasperated, half commiserating looks.

“Most of the judges” Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look “feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However… Miss Delacour’s score is forty-five points”

Fleur’s stomach leapt, she was still tied to Potter in first place. Apolline and Gabrielle caught by surprise, stared at Fleur, then laughed and started applauding hard with the rest of the crowd.

“There you go, Fleur” said Gabrielle in French. “You weren’t being thick after all… you were showing moral fiber!”

Cedric was clapping very hard too, but Krum didn’t look happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Harry and Fleur to listen.

“The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June” continued Bagman “The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions”

It was over, Fleur thought dazedly, as Madam Pomfrey began herding the champions and hostages back to the castle to get into dry clothes… it was over, she had got through… she didn’t have to worry about the Tournament until June. Now she could focus on her Chosen… who was now willing to listen to her, and that had un-hated her, which could only mean that she had another chance, she wouldn’t ruin it again.

Next time she was in Hogsmeade, Fleur decided as she walked up the stone steps into the castle, she was going to buy something nice to give to her Chosen on White Day, after all, they had just missed Valentine’s Day.


	13. Black Day

**_Chapter 13_ **

**_Black Day_ **

One of the worse things about the aftermath of the Second Task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ginny and Hermione were on the spot light as much as Harry. The official story was that Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall’s office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe and would awake when they were back above the water.

Aside from that, people had been teasing Hermione so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss and she was in a rater tetchy mood, which was no good for Fleur who happened to be there every time her Chosen snapped.

As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius’s reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again. Hermione made sure that no one, including her girlfriend, who was at the Ravenclaw’s table, were eavesdropping on their conversation before she let Harry read the note.

Sirius’s letter was almost as short as the previous one.

_Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o’clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can._

“He hasn’t’ come back to Hogsmeade?” asked Ron incredulously

“It looks like it, doesn’t it?” said Hermione

“I can’t believe him” said Harry “if he’s caught…”

“It’s not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore?” said Ron “And he’s made it so far, though, hasn’t he”

“Who’s made it to where?” asked Fleur sitting besides Hermione, giving her girlfriend a breathtaking smile.

“Diggory” hastily replied Hermione while gathering her things for class.

Harry folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Sirius again.

Fleur leaned into Hermione while lunch break at the lake, and wondered if it was wise to jeopardize their health because of what she knew the trio was hiding from her. She guessed that it wouldn’t matter if Hermione at least acknowledge there was something worrying them.

“Mon Ange” she began softly

“Mmmh?” Replied Hermione focused on a transfiguration book

“I don’t want to press the matters, but…” With this Hermione looked up from the book “… I know you’re hiding me somezing” Hermione looked confused so Fleur elaborated “You were not talking about Diggory zis morning” realization hit Hermione

“I… I…”

“It ezz alright mon ange, I just want you to know zat when you’re ready to tell, I’ll be here, and I won’t judge. I only want you to assure me it ezz not dangerous what you’re hiding”

Hermione looked guiltily to the floor before she gathered up the courage to speak her mind. “I’m sorry, I can’t do that… it may be dangerous if people find out, but otherwise I don’t believe I’m in any danger…” She looked down again, ashamed now of her behavior, now she knew why Fleur hadn’t told her about her chat with Dumbledore and Snape after the Yule Ball. “I’m really sorry of how I treated you” she began sobbing. “I knew deep down that I was wrong, it was not your secret to tell”

Fleur looked amazed at her Chosen, she hadn’t meant to make her cry and now, even when Hermione was apologizing, it didn’t feel right. She closed the gap between them and tenderly kiss her forehead, then the blond veela made sure that Hermione was looking her in the eye before speaking again.

“Just like zis is not yours to tell” Hermione nodded, even when she knew Fleur was not asking. “It’s alright Mon Ange, I’ve told you zat I won’t judge you, and if you can’t promise me it is not dangerous, zen promise me you’ll be careful” Hermione nodded and leaned into Fleur’s open arms.

“I do want to tell you” said Hermione when her sobbing stopped. “But…” Fleur shushed her pressing their lips together.

“ _I know, do not worry, just be careful_ ” Assured Fleur through their link

“ _A powerful muscle indeed_ ” Replied Hermione

“Excuse me?” asked Fleur when they came out for air. “What muscle?” she asked grinning

“Not this one” said Hermione capturing Fleur’s lips with her’s again. “ _Our hearts_ ”

When they broke the kiss, Fleur was still confused, so Hermione told her about Yeauxy’s advice.

“She told me that I shouldn’t fight the heart because it’s a powerful little muscle… It took me a while to understand what she actually meant… sorry I was a dunderhead” she said sheepily

“Well, ze important zing is you came to your senses” said Fleur grinning again.

After that they went back to the castle and Hermione had been thinking about it all evening. The Golden Trio plus Fleur, approached the final lesson of the afternoon, double Potions, feeling more cheerful than usually when descending the steps to the dungeons, there Fluer parted to her own class, Hermione debating with herself about her chat with Fleur during lunch.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom dorr with Pansy Parkinson’s gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry couldn’t see and sniggering heartily. Pansy’s pug-like ace peered excitedly around Goyle’s broad back as Harry, Ron and Hermione approached.

“There they are, there they are!” she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands, Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.

“You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!” Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened and Snape beckoned them all inside.

Hermione, Harry and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of today’s potion on the blackboard, Hermione hastily riffled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, Hermione found what they were looking for. Harry and Ron leaned closer. A color photograph of Harry headed a short piece entitled:

_Harry Potter’s Secret Heartache_

_A boy like no other, perhaps – yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demis of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss._

_Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boy’s affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has “never felt this way about any other girl”_

_However, it might not be Miss Granger’s doubtful natural charms that have captured this unfortunate boy’s interest._

_“She’s really ugly” says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth year student, “but she’d be well up making a Love Potion, she’s quite brainy. I think that’s how she’s doing it”_

_Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter’s well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate._

“I told you!” Ron hissed at Hermione as she stared down at the article. “I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She’s made you out to be some sort of, of scarlet woman!”

Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. “Scarlet woman?” she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron.

“It’s what my mum calls them” Ron muttered, his ears going red

“If that’s the best Rita can do, she’s loosing her touch” said Hermione still giggling, as she threw _Witch Weekly_ onto the empty chair beside her. “What a pile of old rubbish”

She looked over at the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave, and she, Harry, and Ron started unpacking the ingredients they would need for their Wit-Sharpening Potion.

“There’s something weird, though” said Hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles, “How could Rita Skeeter have known…?”

“Known what?” said Ron quickly “You haven’t been mixing up Love Potions, have you? Because if Fleur finds out it won’t be pretty”

“Don’t be stupid” Hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. “I still have to talk to her about that just in case… It’s just… how did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?”

“What!?” asked Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk

“He asked me right after he’d pulled me out of the lake,” Hermione muttered “After he’d hot rid of his shark’s head. Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn’t hear, and he said, if I wasn’t doing anything over the summer, would I like to…”

“And what did you say?”said Ron, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on his desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Hermione.

“And he DID say he’d never felt the same way about anyone else” Hermione went on, going so red now that Harry could almost feel the heat coming from her. “but how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn’t there… or was she? Maybe she has got an invisibility cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the Second Task…”

“And what did you say?” Ron repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented the desk

“Well, I was too busy seeing wether Fleur and her hostage were okay to…”

“Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger” said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped “I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor.”

Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Malfoy took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry.

“Ah… reading magazines under the table as well?” Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witchy Weekly. “A further ten points from Gryffindor… oh but of course…” Snape’s black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter’s article. “Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings…”

The dungeons rang with the Slytherins’ laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape’s thin mouth. To Harry’s fury, he began to read the article aloud.

“ _Harry Potter’s Secret Heartache_ … dear, dear Potter, what’s ailing you now? _A boy like no other, perhaps…_ ”

Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded really worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.

“How very touching” sneered Snape at the end of the article, rolling up the magazine. “Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Potter, over therek, beside Miss Parkinson. And Miss Granger, the table in front of my desk. Move. Now.”

Furious Hermione threw her ingredients and her bag into her cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table. Snape followed

“And a detention for you tonight Miss Granger. Be on time” he sat down ath his desk and watched Hermione unload her cauldron. Determined not to look at Snape, Hermione summed the mashing of her scarab beetles, imagining each one to have Snape’s face.

“All this press attention seems to have inflated your over large head, Miss Granger” said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again.

Hermione didn’t answer. She knew Snape was trying to provoke her, he had done it before.

“You’ve been missing your sessions Miss Granger” hissed Snape

“I don’t need them anymore, Professor” said Hermione focusing on cutting her ginger roots.

“Is that so?” said Snape “Then what is it that I read for the class about Mister Krum and yourself”

“Not that I own you an explanation sir, but it’s nothing, really, just a misunderstanding”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong Miss Granger, you do have some explaining to do. I’ll see you in my office for your detention”

Hermione said nothing. She turned back to her ginger roots once again, picked up her knife and started slicing them again. She didn’t like the tone in Professor Snape’s voice, sure he had revealed her the truth about her heritage, and the truth about himself, but all that did not give him the right to control her. She tipped her ginger roots into the cauldron and wondered how would Sirius react upon her request.

There was a knock on the dungeon door

“Enter” said Snape in his usual voice.

The class looked around as the door opened. Professor Karkaroff came in. Everyone watched him as he walked up toward Snape’s desk. He was twisting his finger around his goatee and looking agitated.

“We need to talk” said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape. He seemed so determined than nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips. Hermione kept her eyes on her ginger roots, listening hard.

“I’ll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff” Snape muttered, but Karkaroff interrupted him

“I want to talk now, while you can’t slip off, Severus. You’ve been avoiding me”

“After the lesson” Snape snapped

Under the pretext of holding up a measuring cup o see if she’d poured out enough armadillo bile, Hermione sneaked a sidelong glance at the pair. Karkaroff looked extremely worried, and Snape looked angry, though that was his usual mood anyway.

Karkaroff hovered behind Snape’s desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of class. Keen to hear what Karkaroff wanted to say, Hermione deliberately knocked over her bottle of armadillo bile with two minutes to go to the bell, which gave her an excuse to duck down behind her cauldron and mop up while the rest of the class moved noisily toward the door.

“What’s so urgent?” she heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff

“This” said Karkaroff, and Hermione peering around the edge of her cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm.

“Well?” said Karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips “Do you see? It’s never been this clear, never since…”

“Put it away!” snarled Snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom

“But you must have noticed…” Karkaroff began in an agitated voice

“We can talk later, Karkaroff!” spat Snape “Miss Granger! What are you doing?”

“Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor” said Hermione innocently, straightening up and showing Snape the sodden rag she has holding

Karkaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon. He looked both worried and angry. Not wanting to remain alone with an exceptionally angry Snape, Hermione threw her books and ingredients back into her bag and left at top speed to tell Ron and Harry what she had just witnessed.

After that, and a brief meeting with Fleur, Hermione decided to have a quick dinner before going to detention only to face an angry death eater.

“What exactly were you expecting to accomplish with that Miss Granger?”

“With what sir?” asked Hermione playing dumb. She wasn’t sure if Snape meant by not going to their sessions or by staying after class on purpose.

“By now you should know better than exposing yourself like that” said Snape “I told you he knew your mother, and since your change will mostly be complete just before the term ends, you ought to be careful around death-eaters!”

“Oh, no. We wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation as a murderer, and a child murderer at that!” snapped Hermione. Snape realized that her eyes were slightly changing, reminding him of those he last saw long ago, on a red tailed hawk, the true form of Hermione’s mother.


	14. Scarlet Hermione?

**_Chapter 14_ **

**_Scarlet Hermione?_ **

“You’re forgetting to add ‘a handsome Azkaban fugitive, cold blood murderer and presumed Death Eater” Fleur could not believe what she just heard, was her Chosen really somehow involved with a Death Eater? A murderer? Was that the same Black that she had read about in the papers last year? The one add she had not pay attention to?

Then she remembered one chat she had had with the twins.

_“You'll face the Weasley wrath if you don't leave her alone" said Fred_

_"And our older brothers, even Percy, are to be informed if you don't stop hurting Hermione" said George_

_"And you'll have to deal with our mom, and a few of her friends, including a werewolf!" concluded Fred_

_"And lets not forget Sirius" added George while both twins turned to leave. Fleur stood there for a second._

_"Wait!" she said making the twins to turn again. "I don't mean to 'urt 'er" Fleur said sadly "I love 'er!" she declared "I'll face everyone in ze world, even ze Dark Lord 'imself in order to gain 'er 'eart. I will not give up on us"_

“I don’t know what to zink of you Monsieur Black, but I love Hermione and as I’ve already stated, I’ll face even ze Dark Lord ‘imself for ‘er” began Fleur surprising both Sirius and Hermione while taking out her wand “So if you please could move aside, we’ll be gone and will not tell anyone we’ve seen you”

Hermione smiled at that, was Fleur really to shocked to notice that Sirius was not dangerous? She put a hand on Fleur’s arm, making her lower the wand. “It’s alright Fleur, he knows. He’s our friend and his not a threat to us, at least not directly”

Fleur looked confused at her Chosen, but when Sirius burst out laughing she couldn’t stop moving between the Death Eater and Hermione, while glaring at what she considered a threat.

“Perhaps we should tell her the whole story Mione, I really don’t want to be in the receiving end of a veela’s wrath” said Sirius still giggling.

“I do not think that is funny Sirius, and you’re not helping your case by laughing at my girlfriend” stated Hermione with her hands on her hip.

“Sorry” said Sirius once he regained his composure. “I didn’t mean to startle you Fleur, why don’t you both sit down again? I believe this will be a really long chat”

Hermione dragged Fleur to the bed again, and sat beside her, one hand reassuringly on the blonde’s thigh.

“It’s alright Fleur, we were also wary about Sirius at first, but we discovered that he is in fact innocent and was framed by someone close to him and the Potters… Do you remember the map that Harry leant us a couple of weeks ago?” Fleur nodded “Well…” and with that Hermione launched into explanation mode, she told Fleur with Sirius help, all that had happened last school year.

By the time they were finished it was really late and the girls had to go back to school, Sirius walked them in his animagus form to the wimping willow and bid them goodbye by nuzzling them both, Hermione took out Harry’s cloak and covered both of their bodies, walking Fleur to the Beauxbaton’s carriage. They kissed one last time that night under the cloak and then Hermione went to the Gryffindor common room, glad that everything between Sirius and her Chosen had worked out alright. Now she had no more secrets from her and Fleur would now understand when they talked about Snuffles, now she only had to tell Harry and Ron that Fleur knew about it.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went up to the Owlery after breakfast on Sunday to send a letter to Percy, asking, as Sirius had suggested, whether he had seen Mr. Crouch lately. They used Hedwig, because it had been so long since she’d had a job.

When they had watched her fly out of sight through the Owlery window, they proceeded down to the kitchen.

Harry gave Dobby his new socks and Hermione told Yeauxy the news about her and Fleur, while Ron roamed through the food that was offered to him.

“Yeuxy is glad miss listen to heart” said the house-elf “Miss was not looking good without her partner”

“I’m glad to Yeauxy. Thank you for being concerned. I feel better now” said Hermione beaming at her little friend. Hermione’s heart saddened however when they noticed Winky and the state she was now.

Winky was sitting on the same stool as last time, but her clothes were ragged and unwashed. She was clutching a bottle of butterbeer and swaying slightly on her stool, staring into the fire. As they watched her, she gave and enormous hiccup.

“Winky is getting through six bottles a day now” said Dobby “Winky wants to go home. Winky still thinks Mr. Crouch is her master, and nothing Dobby says will persuade her that Professor Dumbledore is her master now”

They tried in vain to cheer her up, while the other house-elves at the kitchen, including Yeuxy returned to their tasks. By the end of their ‘intervention’ Hermione was fuming and tried to remind all the house-elves that they had also a right to be sad or happy or angry as much as any human, but it was futil, so the trio left the kitchens again.

By breakfast the next day Hermione’s bad mood had burnt out and to Harry’s and Ron’s relief, Ron’s dark predictions that the house-elves would send substandard food up to the Gryffindor table because Hermione had insulted them proved false, everything was quite good as usual.

Fleur sat by Hermione’s side when the pos owls arrived, noting that Hermione looked up eagerly, as if expecting something.

“Percy won’t’ve had time to answer yet” said Ron “We only sent Hedwig yesterday”

“No, it’s not that” said Hermione “I’ve taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I’m getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins”

“Good thinking!” said Harry also looking up at the owls

“Of course it is good zinking. Did you expect less from the brightest witch of ‘Ogwarts ‘Arry?” asked Fleur smirking at Hermione

“Hey, Hermione, I think you’re in luck” said Ron. A gray owl was soaring down toward Hermione.

“It hasn’t got a newspaper, though” she said, looking disappointed. But to her bewilderment, the gray owl landed in front of her plate, closely followed by four barn owls, a brown owl and a tawny.

“‘Ow many subscriptions did you take out mon Ange?” said Fleur seizing Hermione’s goblet before it was knocked over by the cluster of owls, all of whom were jostling close to her Chosen, trying to deliver their own letter first.

“What on earth…?” Hermione said taking the letter from the gray owl, opening it and starting to read. “Oh really!” she sputtered, going rather red.

“What’s up?” said Harry

“It’s… oh ´ow ridiculous” said Fleur who had read the letter over Hermione’s shoulder.

“Excactly” said Hermione thrusting the letter to Harry, who saw that it was not handwritten, but composed from pasted letters that seemed to have been cut out of the Daily Prophet.

_You are a wicked girl. Harry Potter deserves_

_better. Go back where you came from Muggle_

“They’re all like it!” said Hermione desperately, opening on letter after another. “ _‘Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you…’ ‘You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn…’_ Ouch”

She had opened the last envelope, and yellowish-green liquid smelling strongly of petrol gushed over her hands, which began to erupt in large yellow boils.

“Undiluted bubotuber pus!” said Ron pickin up the envelope gingerly and sniffing it.

“Ow”! said Hermione again, tears starting in her eyes as she tried to rub the pus off her hands with the napkin, but her fingers were now so thickly covered in painful sores that it looked as though she were wearing a pair of thick, knobbly gloves.

“I better take you to ze ‘ospital wing” said Fleur as the owls around Hermione took flight.

“We’ll tell Professor Sprout where you’ve gone” said Harry

“I warned her!” said Ron to Harry as Hermione and Fleur stood up.

“You’ll be fine mon Ange” said Fleur leading Hermione to the entrance of the Great Hall. Then a wicked smirked appeared on her lips and Hermione knew that something troubling was about to happen, however she did not expected what happened next. “I’ll give them something to talk about” said the blond veela clutching on of Hermione’s hand on hers, gaining with that the same pain that her Chosen was experiencing.

“I just want to tell you all ‘ere, zat zis gorgeous, amazing, stunning, smart and beautiful witch beside me, is out of limits to everyone. She is my girlfriend, and my Chosen, zerefore if you ‘arm ‘er again, I will ‘unt you down and release my wrath on you.” Then they both stormed out of the Great Hall leaving it in total silence.

“You didn’t have to do that love” said Hermione once they were nearing the hospital wing.

Fleur tried not to react to Hermione’s words, but she couldn’t help the small smile that crept to her face “I wanted to make sure zey knew you’re mine, specially Krum. ‘E was eyeing you as if you were a goddess, which I zink you are but you are my goddess.” Said Fleur vehemently. Hermione realized that Fleur’s eyes were different; they were yellowish now and she remembered some of her lessons with Apolline and Severus Snape.

_“You must take into account that veelas are very possessive with what is theirs” had said Snape_

_“Hermione, we are really protective of the ones we care, especially our Chosen. We’d rather die than see our Chosen suffering. If someone hurts them, we snap and become our real selves, we return to our original form.” Had said Apolline_

_“It is unwise to make a veela get mad at you.” Said Snape_

“While I don’t mind being yours and only yours, and you defending my honor, I was not talking about that” said Hermione smirking. Fleur looked up and slowly her eyes turned back to the hazel blue Hermione was used to. “I’m talking about your hand. You didn’t have to hurt yourself too” said Hermione smiling at Fleur who was still clutching Hermione’s right hand with her left one.

“Oh” said Fleur “I didn’t zink about it. I just wanted to ‘old your ‘and mon Ange”

With that said, both smiled and started again to the infirmary. After Madame Pomfrey released them, Hermione headed to Care of Magical Creatures and joined her friends there. 

Hermione walked towards Ron, Harry and Hagrid when the bell rang across the grounds for lunch. Harry noticed Madame Maxime watching them out of her carriage window.

“What yeh done ter your hands Hermione?” said Hagrid looking concerned

“Hermione told him about the hate mail she had received that morning, and the envelope full of bubotuber pus.

“Aaah, don’ worry” said Hagrid gently, looking down at her. “I got some o’ those letters an’all after Rita Skeeter wrote abou’me mum”

“Things will get tougher though” said Ron

“Yeah. I’m sure Skeeter will publish soon something about what Fleur did in tomorrow’s paper” said Harry

“Well, then it will just confirm that she’s still in Hogwarts grounds” said Hermione more to herself than to them

Sure enough, the next week’s edition of the Witch Weekly stated that Hermione was as Ron had said, a Scarlet Woman.

_HOGWARTS’ OWN LOVE BITCH_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_It appears that the young muggle-born witch, Hermione Granger is now only missing one heart of the TriWizard Champions._

_Hermione Granger who was Harry Potter’s girlfriend until the Second Task, when she ditched the young wizard for the Quidditch champion Viktor Krum, has now decided that they both were not enough for her. She set her eyes on a rather juicy and higher social status. She managed to convince young Miss Delacour, who is a quarter-veela witch, that the muggle-born is her Chosen._

_For you readers who don’t know what it means, it is basically to say that Miss Delacour has chosen Hermione Granger to be her mate. Miss Delacour has also told Miss Granger that she sees her as a Goddess, her own goddess and is not willing to share her with anybody._

_It has not being made official by the patriarch of the Delacour family, which is one of the most Noble and Ancient Houses of France. For more information on the Delacour House turn to page 12_

_“I knew that she was not normal. She kept hitting on me last year” stated miss Parkinson, a fourth year Slytherin student._

_“One has to concede that she is quite good with potions, so if anyone could make a love potion effective enough to trick a veela, it is the muggle-born” said an anonymous source_

_Well, this reporter can only hope that the Headmaster digs into this accusations and that Mister Diggory has enough protections against Miss Granger’s tricks._

Hate mail continued to arrive for Hermione over the following week, and although she followed Hagrid’s and Fleur’s advice and stopped opening it, several of her ill-wishers sent Howlers, which exploded at the Gryffindor table and shrieked insults at her for the whole Hall to hear. Even those people who didn’t red Witch Wickly knew all about the supposed Harry-Krum-Fleur-Hermione triangle now. Harry was getting sick of telling people that Hermione had never been his girlfriend.

The twins were again always near Hermione when Fleur, Harry and Ron weren’t and they even tested some new products on students they knew were sending Hermione some of said mail.

“It’ll die down, though” Harry told Hermione “if we just ignore it… People got bored with that stuff she wrote about me last time…”

“I want to know she’s listening into private conversations when she’s supposed to be banned from the grounds!” said Hermione angrily

Hermione hung back in their next DADA lesson to ask Professor Moody something. The rest of the class was very eager to leave; Moody had given them such a rigorous test of hex-deflection that many of them were nursing small injuries

“Well, Rita’s definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak!” Hermione panted five minutes later, catching up with Harry and Ron in the entrance of the Hall. “Moody says he didn’t’ see her anywhere near the judges’ table at the second task, or anywhere near the lake! He also says she wasn’t around the Great Hall and I don’t think there was anyone with us after that!”

“Hermione, is there a point in telling you to drop this?” said Ron

“No!” said Hermione stubbornly “I want to know how she heard me talking to Viktor. And how she knew what Fleur told me after we left the Great Hall. And how she found out about Hagrid’s mum!”

“Easy Mon Ange. You don’t want to get angry yet” said Fleur catching the last of the conversation and reaching for Hermione’s hand while they all kept walking

“Maybe she had you bugged” said Harry

“Bugged?” asked Ron blankly “What… put fleas on her or something?”

Harry started explaining about hidden microphones and recording equipment. Ron was fascinated, but Hermione interrupted them

“Aren’t you ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?”

“What’s the point?” said Ron “You know it by heart, we can just ask you”

“All zose substitutes for magic Muggles use; electricity, computers, radars, and all zose zings, zey all go ‘aywire around ‘Ogwarts, zere’s too much magic in ze air.” Said Fleur

“So Rita must be using magic to eavesdrop, she must be…” said Hermione “If I could just find out what it is… oooh, if it’s illegal, I’ll have her…” she said smirking

“Haven’t we got enough to worry about?” Ron asked her “Do we have to start a vendetta against Rita Skeeter as well?”

“I’m not asking you to help!” Hermione snapped “I’ll do it on my own”

She dropped Fleur’s hand and marched up the marble staircase without a backward glance. Harry was quite sure she was going to the library. Fleur tried to follow her but noticed the twins not far behind Hermione so she decided to give her a little space.

“What’s the betting she comes back with a box of _I hate Rita Skeeter_ badges?” said Ron

“I do not zink she will” said Fleur

Even when their workload was mounting ever higher in the days before the Easter holidays, Fleur frankly marveled at the fact that Hermione could research magical methods of eavesdropping as well as everything else she had to do. Fleur was working flat out just to get through all her homework.

Ron and Harry were surprised when they realized that Fleur had made a point of sending regular food packages up the cave in the mountain for Snuffles. And wondered why she had decided to help them keep their secret.

Hedwig didn’t return until the end of the Easter holidays. Percy’s letter was enclosed in a package of Easter Eggs that Mrs. Weasley had sent. Both Harry’s and Ron’s were the size of dragon eggs and full of homemade toffee. Hermione’s however, was smaller than a chicken egg. Her face fell when she saw it.

When Fleur noticed that, she decided to ask her mother to press her father to make an official statement about her Chosen and to make sure to prepare an engagement party to make sure everyone knew that it was real. She had to speak to Hermione about it though, because she had said that she wanted to talk to her parents, the Grangers, about her heritage and about Fleur before deciding what to do next.

“Your mum doesn’t read Witch Weekly, by any chance, does she, Ron?” asked Hermione quietly

“Yeah” said Ron, whose mouth was full of toffee. “Gets it for the recipes”

Hermione looked sadly at her tiny egg. Fleur grabbed and squeezed her hand, then leaned into her and softly press her lips on Hermione’s in a haste peck.

“I’ll ask Yeuxy to make as many eggs and as big as you wish mon Ange” she said

Hermione smiled back. “It’s not that, but thank you anyway Fleur” said Hermione kissing Fleur’s cheek

“Don’t you want to see what Percy’s written?” Harry asked them hastily

Percy’s letter was short and irritated.

_As I am constantly telling the Daily Prophet. Mr. Crouch is_

_taking a well-deserved break. He is sending in regular owls_

_with instructions. No, I haven’t actually seen him, but I think_

_I can be trusted to know my own superior’s handwriting. I_

_have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to_

_quash these ridiculous rumors. Please don’t bother me again_

_unless it’s something important. Happy Easter._

After breakfast Fleur dragged Hermione to the Kitchen to speak to Yeuxy who apparently had made something especial for them. They had a brief chat with the house-elf and then left for a walk along the lake.

“Mon Ange” began Fleur “I’m sorry” she said crestfallen

“What about Fleur?” asked Hermione unsure of where this was going

“I wanted them to stop hurting you and I made it worse” said Fleur

“I don’t care about what the wizarding world thinks” said Hermione smiling to her girlfriend

“Today didn’t look like so” stated Fleur

“I didn’t expect Mrs. Weasley to listen to rumors instead of talking straight to me. It hurts because I trusted her. I talked to her before the school year started, about my parents”

“Do you want me to speak to ‘er?” asked Fleur

“No my love. No need to. We’ll get by” said Hermione reaching again for Fleur’s hand

“What about Skeeter?” Asked Fleur looking into her Chosen’s eyes “She will continue to dig into you. Do you want me to make an official announcement? I’ve talked to mozer, we can zrow a ball or somezing”

“The only thing I care about Skeeter is how she gets the information. But because I’m curious and mad by what she did to Hagrid, and a little about me. But Hagrid’s my friend and she hurt his feelings”

“She ‘urt your feelings too!”

“I have you, and Hagrid does not fully have the one he loves” she said sadly “And about the other matter. What do you want my love? Do you want to do that?”

Fleur smirked again. Hermione had been more open about her feelings for her, and every time she called her, her love, she was thrilled. “I’m guessing you have not had time to open your white day’s gift”

“Uh, what does it have to do with this?” asked Hermione confused

“You’ll see if you open it” said Fleur still smirking. Hermione let go of her hands and dig into her pocket, she hadn’t opened it yet, but she always carried with it.

Hermione took out the box from the blue velvet and opened it, only to gasp at what she saw inside.

“I was going to buy you something at ‘ogsmeade, but my mozer said zis was better” said Fleur

“Your mother gave you this for me?” asked Hermione surprised. Fleur nodded.

“May I put it on your neck mon Ange?” asked Fleur, Hermione nodded.

It was a gold pendant, with the crest of the Hrlam veela clan and it was hanging on a chain, a magic gold chain in which each echelon was linked to the other by the Delacour family crest.

“Will you marry me, mon Ange?” whispered Fleur into Hermione’s ear


	15. Crouch's Back

**_Chapter 15_ **

**_Crouch’s back_ **

"Will you marry me, mon Ange?" whispered Fleur into Hermione's ear

Hermione was ecstatic, she knew this was coming; the moment Fleur stole that kiss from her before the first task started, that this was gonna happen… she had secretly hoped before going to Hogwarts that year, but she was not certain until Fleur actually kissed her. They were meant to be together and they’d live through everything, why then had Fleur felt the need to ask her that?

Fleur was getting nervous now, Hermione seemed lost and almost angry, which was never a good sign. Then just as Fleur pondered what to make to ensure that her Chosen was not mad, she realized Hermione was glaring at her, and her eyes were yellow and screeching through her soul.

“You didn’t have to ask,” said Hermione still glaring “it’s ridiculous. You should have known the answer without posing the question.”

“You’re mad mon Ange, because I asked you to marry me?” asked Fleur trying to understand.

Hermione shook her head “It’s just the fact that you asked when the answer is quite obvious.”

Then Fleur thought she understood, Hermione and her were going to live together, they were after all, each other’s Chosen, and Hermione had guessed that it meant also to marry. Fleur smiled gently at her Chosen, and cupped her head with her soft hands.

“Being a veela Chosen, is not ze same as being zeir spouse mon Ange,” she leaned in to Hermione’s lips “ _that’s why I asked you to marry me._ ”

“ _What do you mean?_ ” asked Hermione through their link

Fleur ended the kiss and press her forehead against her Chosen’s, still cupping Hermione’s face.

“Zere are few cases in which veelas can’t marry their Chosen eizer because zeir Chosen is already married to someone else or zey ‘ave to in order to ensure some alliances. Zat does not mean zey are not togezer as a couple, only not as spouses.” Said Fleur watching as Hermione’s eyes turned back to the chocolate ones.

Hermione blushed a little and looked down to her feet. “I guess I just assumed and overreacted.”

Fleur lifted her chin, forcing Hermione to look her in the eyes. “I know, no need to be sorry.”

“I love you Fleur,” whispered Hermione “I’d be honored to be your wife.” She said smiling and pressing her lips into Fleur’s. Fleur couldn’t help but smile into the kiss too “ _the honor is all mine, mon Ange._ ”

They spent the rest of the day making plans for the wedding, they agreed to wait til the change was complete, and of course during summer break Fleur and her family would go to England and properly ask the Granger’s for Hermione’s hand. Fleur suggested also to formally ask her biological dad, but Hermione was not completely sure about that.

Then, they went to Apolline who readily congratulated them and assured them that after the Third Task was over, the Delacour family would throw an engagement party for them, and that both her and her husband would deal now with the announcement to the media.

“I’d rather for you to wait until the end of the Triwizard Torunament.” Said Hermione

“Wait mon Ange? I’m sure if we go public now, ze ‘ate male you’re receiving will stop coming.” said Fleur

“I’m sure. I do not open that mail anymore and you have to focus on the Third Task” assured Hermione

After a few moments of pondering, Apolline agreed to that. “After all, if you loose, then we’ll have the excuse of making the arrangements, and if you win, we’ll have to celebrate that too, and we can make the official announcement then” she said smirking

The start of the summer term would normally have meant that Hermione would be watching Harry train hard for the last Quidditch match of the season. This year however, it was the third and final task in the Triwizard Torunament for which he needed to prepare, but they still didn’t know what the Champions would have to do. Finally, in the last week of May, Professor McGonagall held him back in Trasnfiguration.

Hermione went in search of Fleur, wondering if she already knew, since she assumed that was why Professor McGonagall held Harry back.

“Non mon Ange, but we’ll have to go down to ze Quidditch field tonight at nine o’clock. Madame said Mr. Bagman will be zere to tell us about ze task.”

So at half past eight that night, Harry and Fleur left Ron, Ginny and Hermione in the Great Hall and went to the grounds. As they crossed the entrance Hall, Cedric came up from the Hufflepuff common room.

“What d’you reckon it’s going to be?” he asked Harry as they went together down the stone steps, out into the cloudy night.

“I believe we might ‘ave to go zrough some underground tunnels, I reckon we’ll ‘ave to find a treasure.”

“That wouldn’t be too bad.” said Harry.

They walked down the dark lawn to the Quidditch stadium, turned through a gap in the stands, and walked out onto the field.

“What’ve they done to it?” Cedric said indignantly, stopping dead

The Quidditch field was no longer smooth and flat. It looked as though somebody had been building long, low walls all over it that twisted and crisscrossed in every direction.

“They’re hedges!” said Harry, bending to examine the nearest one

“Hello there!” called a cheery voice

Ludo Bagman was standing in the middle of the field with Krum. Harry, Cedric and Fleur made their way toward them, climbing over the hedges. Fleur beamed at Harry as they neared Bagman.

“Well, what d’you think?” said Bagman happily. “Growing nicely, aren’t they? Give them a month and Hagrid’ll have them twenty feet high. Don’t worry” he added, grinning, spotting the less-than-happy expressions on Harry’s and Cedric’s faces “you’ll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we’re making here?”

No one spoke for a moment, then…

“Maze” grunted Krum

“That’s right!” said Bagman. “A maze. The third task’s really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks”

“We seemply ‘ave to get zrough ze maze?” said Fleur

“There will be obstacles” said Bagman happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet “Hagrid is providing a number of creatures…. Then there will be spells that must be broken… all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champions who are leading on points will get a head start into the maze.” Bagman grinned at Harry and Fleur “Then Mr. Krum will enter… then Mr. Diggory. But you’ll all be in with a fighting chance, depending on how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?”

Harry, who knew only too well the kind of creatures that Hagrid was likely to provide for an event like this, thought it was unlikely to be any fun at all. However he nodded politely like the other champions, making a note to tell Fleur all the kind of creatures Hagrid was fond of.

“Very well… if you haven’t got any questions, we’ll go back up to the castle, shall we, it’s a bit chilly…”

Bagman hurried alongside Harry as they began to wend their way out of the growing maze. Harry had the feeling that Bagman was going to start offering to help him again, but just then, Krum tapped Harry on the shoulder.

“Could I haff a vord?”

“Yeah, all right.” Said Harry surprised

“Vill you valk vith us?” asked Krum to Fleur

“Okay” said Fleur curiously

Bagman looked slightly perturbed.

“I’ll wait for you, Harry. Shall I?”

“No, it’s okay Mr. Bagman” said Harry, suppressing a smile “I think I can find the castle on my own, thanks.”

Harry, Krum and Fleur left the stadium together, but Krum did not set a course for the Durmstrang ship. Instead, he walked toward the forest.

“What’re we going this way for?” said Harry as they passed Hagrid’s cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage.

“Don’t vont to be overheard” said Krum shortly

When at last they ha reached a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the Beauxbatons horses’ paddock, Krum stopped in the shade of the trees and turned to face Harry.

“I vant to know,” he said, glowering “vot there is between you and Hermy-own.ninny.”

Harry, who from Krum’s secretive manner had expected something more serious than this, stared up at Krum in amazement, then at Fleur who was apparently as shocked as him, then back at Krum.

“Nothing” he said. But Krum glowered at him and Harry somehow struck anew by how tall Krum was, elaborated “We’re friends. She’s not my girlfriend,” he turned and stared at Fleur “and she never has been.” Then she turned back to Krum again “It’s just that Skeeter woman making things up.”

“Hermy-own-ninny talks about you very often” said Krum, looking suspiciously at Harry.

Harry was surprised by that, when did Hermione talked about him to Krum if she was always with Fleur? Then he noticed Krum still glaring at him.

“Yeah” said Harry “because we’re friends.”

He couldn’t quite believe he was having this conversation with Viktor Krum, the famous International Quidditch player; in front of Fleur Delacour, the veela who’s Chosen was Hermione Granger, his best friend.

“You haff never… you haff not…”

“No,” said Harry very firmly. Krum looked slightly happier, and Harry was sorry for him. “but she has” said Harry pointing at Fleur.

Krum turned and looked Fleur in the eye, and the veela was glaring at him

“‘ER- MI-O-NE is my Chosen. My girlfriend Krum, so do not go fancying ideas of you two togezer” He stared at Harry for a few seconds.

“He said it vas Skeeter’s doin’” said Krum flatly

“She made up everyzing about ‘Arry and ‘Ermione. But she is right about ‘Ermione and me”

Krum looked to Harry, who was looking apologetically at him, then back at Fleur who was still glaring at him. He was about to speak again but something moved behind him in the trees and Harry, who had some experience of the sort of thing that lurked in the forest, instinctively grabbed Fleur’s and Krum’s arms and pulled them around.

“Vot is it?”

Harry shook his head, staring at the place where he’d seen movement. He slipped his hand inside his robes, reaching for his wand. Fleur mimicked him, thinking about the things that her Chosen had told her the Golden trio had faced.

Suddenly a man staggered out from behind a tall oak. For a moment, Harry didn’t recognize him… then he realized it was Mr. Crouch, and forced Fleur to lower her wand.

Crouch looked as though he had been travelling for days. The knees of his robes were ripped and bloody, his face scratched; he was unshaven and gray with exhaustion. His neat hair and mustache were both in need of a wash and a trim. His strange appearance, however, was nothing to the way he was behaving. Muttering and gesticulating, Mr. Crouch appeared to be talking to someone that he alone could see. He reminded Harry vividly of an old tramp he had seen once when out shopping with the Dursleys. That man too had been conversing with thin air.

“Vosn’t he a judge?” said Krum, staring at Mr. Crouch

“Isn’t ‘im wiz your ministry ‘Arry?” asked Fleur

Harry nodded, hesitated for a moment, then walked slowly toward Mr. Crouch, who did not look at him, but continued to talk to a nearby tree.

“…and when you’ve done that, Weatherby, send and owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament, Karkaroff has just sent word there will be twelve…”

“Mr. Crouch?” said Harry cautiously

“…and then another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she’s bringing, now Karkaroff’s made it a round dozen… do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will…”

Mr. Crouch’s eyes were buldging. He stood staring at the tree, muttering soundlessly at it. Then he staggered sideways and felt to his knees.

“Mr. Crouch?” Harry said loudly. “Are you alright?”

Crouch’s eyes were rolling in his head. Harry looked around at Krum and Fleur, who had followed him into the trees, and were looking down at Crouch in alarm.

“Vot is wrong vith him?”

“No idea” Harry muttered. “Listen, you’d better go and get someone…” he said to Krum, thinking he was the fastest.

“Dumbledore!” gasped Mr. Crouch. He reached out and seized a handful of Harry’s robes, dragging him closer, though his eyes were staring over Harry’s head. “I need… see… Dumbledore…”

“Okay,” said Harry “if you get up, Mr. Crouch, we can go up to the…”

“I’ve done… stupid… thing…” Mr. Crouch breathed. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of spittle was sliding down his chin. Every word he spoke seemed to cost him a terrible effort. “Must… tell… Dumbledore…”

“Get up, Mr. Crouch,” said Harry loudly and clearly “Get up, I’ll take you to Dumbledore!”

“Who… you?” he whispered

“I’m a student at the school,” said Harry, looking around at Fleur for some help, but Fleur was hanging back, looking extremely nervous.

“You’re not…his?” whispered Crouch, his mouth sagging.

“No,” said Harry, without the faintest idea what Crouch was talking about.

“Dumbledore’s?”

“That’s right,” said Harry

Crouch was pulling closer; Harry tried to loosen Crouch’s grip on his robes, but it was too powerfull.

“Warn… Dumbledore…”

“I’ll get Dumbledore if you let go of me,” said Harry. “Just let go, Mr. Crouch, and I’ll get him…”

“Thank you, Weatherby, and when you have done that, I would like a cup of tea. My wife and son will be arriving shortly, we are attending a concert tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge.”

Crouch was now talking fluently to a tree again, and seemed completely unaware that Harry and Fleur were there, which surprised Harry so much he didn’t notice that Crouch had released him.

“Yes, my son has recently gained twelve O.W.L.s, most satisfactory, yes, thank you, yes, very proud indeed. Now, if you could bring me that memo form the Andorran Minister of Magic, I think I will have time to draft a response…”

“You stay here with him!” Harry said to Fleur thinking that Krum was taking too long “I’ll get Dumbledore, I know where his office is…”

“ ‘E is mad,” said Fleur doubtfully, staring down at Crouch, who was still gabbling to the tree.

“Just stay with him,” said Harry, starting to get up, but his movement seemed to trigger another abrupt change in Mr. Crouch, who seized him hard around the knees and pulled Harry back to the ground.

“Don’t… leave… me!” he whispered, his eyes bulging again. “I… escaped… must warn… must tell… see Dumbledore… my fault… all my fault… Bertha… dead… all my fault… my son… my fault… tell Dumbledore… Harry Potter… the Dark Lord… stronger… Harry Potter…”

“I’ll get Dumbledore if you let me go, Mr. Crouch!” said Harry. He looked furiously around at Fleur. “Help me, will you?”

Looking extremely apprehensive, Fleur moved forward and squatted down next to Mr. Crouch

“Just keep him here,” said Harry, pulling himself free of Mr. Crouch. “I’ll be back with Dumbledore.”

“ ‘Urry, will you?” Fleur called after him as Harry sprinted away from the forest and up through the dark grounds.

Not more than a minute since Harry left them, Fleur could see a red light coming from the trees and then everything went black.


	16. Suspicions

**_Chapter 16_ **

**_Suspicions_ **

Fleur opened her eyes. She looked dazed. When she saw Dumbledore along with Harry and Krum, she tried to sit up, but Dumbledore put a hand on her shoulder and made her lie still.

“‘E attacked me!” muttered Fleur, putting a hand up to her head. “Ze old madman attacked me! I was looking around to see where ‘Arry ‘ad gone an ‘e attacked from behind!”

“Lie still for a moment,” Dumbledore said.

The sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into sight carrying his crossbow, and Fang at his heels.

“Professor Dumbledore!” he said, his eyes widening. “Harry… what the…?”

“Hagrid, I need you to fetch Madame Maxime,” said Dumbledore. “Her student has been attacked. When you’ve done that, kindly alert Professor Moody…”

“No need, Dumbledore,” said a wheezy growl. “I’m here.”

Moody was limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit.

“Damn leg,” he said furiously. “Would’ve been here quicker… what’s happened? Snape said something about Crouch…”

“Crouch?” said Hagrid blankly.

“Madame Maxime, please, Hagrid!” said Dumbledore sharply.

“Oh, yea… right y’are, Professor…” said Hagrid, and he turned and disappeared into the dark trees, Fang trotting after him.

“I don’t know where Barty Crouch is,” Dumbledore told Moody, “but it is essential that we find him.”

“I’m onto it,” growled Moody, and he pulled out his wand and limped off into the forest.

Neither Dumbledore nor Harry, nor Krum spoke again until they heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Madame Maxime and Apolline Delacour were hurrying along behind them. The latter looked pale and agitated.

“What is this?” cried Madame Maxime when she saw Fleur on the ground and Dumbledore and Harry beside him.

“What’s going on”? asked Apolline

“I was attacked!” said Fleur, sitting up now and rubbing her head. “Mr. Crouch or whatever ‘is name…”

“Crouch attacked you? CROUCH attacked you? The Triwizard judge?”

“Madame,” Dumbledore began, but Madame Maxime cut him off.

“Treachery!” she bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. “It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic ‘ave lured me ‘ere under false pretenses, Dumbledore! This is not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into ze tournament, zough ‘e is underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in zis whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, wiz your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences… ‘ere’s what I zink of you!”

Madam Maxime stomped onto the ground at Dumbledore’s feet. In one swift movement, Hagrid stepped between her and the headmaster.

“Apologize!” Hagrid snarled as Madame gasped for breath, taken by surprise.

“Hagrid, no!” Dumbledore shouted, his eyes flashing. Hagrid looked onto Dumbledore’s eyes and stepped aside. “Kindly escort Harry and Mr. Krum back up to the castle, Hagrid,” said Dumbledore sharply.

Breathing heavily, Hagrid gave Madame Maxime a glowering look.

“Maybe I’d better stay here, Headmaster…”

“You will take Harry and Mr. Krum back to school, Hagrid,” Dumbledore repeated firmly. “Take Mr. Krum to Professor Karkaroff, and Harry right up to Gryffindor Tower. And Harry… I want you, and Miss Granger to stay there. Anything you might want to do, any owls you might want to send, they can wait until morning, do you understand me?”

“Er… yes,” said Harry, staring at him. How had Dumbledore known that, at that very moment, he had been thinking about sending Pigwidgeon straight to Sirius, to tell him what had happened?

“I’ll leave Fang with yeh, Headmaster,” Hagrid said, staring sadly at Madame Maxime, who was still surprised. “Stay, Fang. C’mon Harry.”

They marched in silence past the Beauxbatons carriage and up toward the castle.

“I expect and explanation” said Apolline

“Perhaps it would be better to move this conversation into my office,” said Dumbledore, when Madame Maxime scowled at him he continued. “let me assure Madame that this is not a plot against you, your students, or your champion.”

“Oui Madame” said Fleur “Zat guy from ze Ministry said ‘e ‘ad done somezing ‘orrible and zat ‘e needed to warn Dumbledore. I doubt zat Professor Dumbledore planned zat” she concluded standing up next to her mother

“And bare in mind Maxime” began Apolline. “That if anything happens to Fleur, one student at Hogwarts would suffer the same fate, therefore I agree with my daughter that this was not Dumbledore’s doing.”

“Very well zen,” began Madame Maxime, clearly not totally convinced yet. “I do expect you to find and punish ze aggressor”

Dumbledore nodded and walked the three ladies to his office.

“Lemon drop?” said Dumbledore offering the candy to each of his guests, each in turn refusing to take one. “Okay then,” he began after sitting down behind his desk “Would you mind telling us exactly what happened Miss Delacour?”

“I’d really prefer to reassure ‘Ermione first Professor, ‘Arry must surely have already told ‘er, and knowing ‘er she won’t stay put up in Gryffindor Tower…” She was cut off by Dumbledores soft chuckle.

“Do you find zis amusing Dumbledore?” asked Madame Maxime. At that precise moment there was a knock on the door.

“Enter” said Dumbledore still chuckling lightly.

“Professor Dumbledore, I found a student wandering in the halls and she insisted on seeing you” said Professor Snape.

Apolline noticed then who it was said student, and she couldn’t help but giggle at the fact that apparently Dumbledore had known Hermione as well as her daughter seem to know her Chosen.

“Are you okay?” asked Hermione concerned, locking eyes with Fleur. Snape rolled his eyes at that but smirked nevertheless.

Fleur nodded and Hermione walked to her. “I’m sorry Professor Dumbledore, Harry told me your orders to stay put, but I couldn’t after he told me that Fleur was attacked.”

“Then Miss Granger, an extra 30 points from Gryffindor for disobeying the Headmaster’s instructions” said Snape smugly.

“Severus, do not be so harsh,” said Dumbledore “after all, she was just…”

“Putting her life at risk again” cut Snape

“I see there is no point in arguing with you on this matter Severus,” said Dumbledore smirking “come both of you and have a seat. Miss Delacour was about to tell us exactly what happened.”

After a whole explanation about what Mr. Bagman had told the Champions, then the conversation between Fleur, Krum and Harry and then the apparition of Mr. Crouch and how she was left alone, there was silence for a couple of minutes.

“As I said before, Dumbledore, I expect you to find and punish zat man” said Madam Maxime

“Did you notice anything weird?” asked Snape, then when he looked into Fleur’s eyes, he elaborated “I mean besides his behavior. Anything about his eyes, or that he seemed in pain?”

Fleur thought about it for a moment. “Non. ‘E did look stressed and worried. Whatever ‘e wanted to tell Dumbledore, ‘e zought it was important”

“Indeed” nodded Snape, looking to the Headmaster’s eyes.

“Well, Professor Moody is in charge of finding Mr. Crouch.” said Dumbledore. “It is already quite late. What do you say about calling it a night?”

They all nodded their agreement.

“Very well, I don’t usually agree to this, but seeing the state in which Miss Granger seems to be, I think it would be a wise idea to let Miss Delacour spend the night in Gryffindor Tower. Don’t you agree Severus?”

The potions master looked annoyed at the headmaster, then worried at Hermione and he saw that she actually seemed weak and about to crack. “I’ll escort them both there” he said finally.

“Then by all means I’ll escort Madame Maxime and Madame Delacour to the Beauxbatons carriage.”

It was daybreak. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fleur had crept out of their dormitories very early and hurried up to the Owlery together to send a note to Sirius. Now they were standing looking out at the misty grounds. All four of them were puffy-eyed and pale because they had been talking late into the night about the whole incident.

“It comes down to this,” said Hermione, rubbing her forehead. “either Mr. Crouch attacked Fleur, or somebody else attacked both of them when she wasn’t looking.”

“It must’ve been Crouch,” said Ron at once. “That’s why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He’d done a runner.”

“I don’t think so,” said Harry shaking his head. “He seemed really weak… I don’t reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything.”

“You can’t Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds,” said Hermione leaning into Fleur’s embrace “haven’t I told you enough times?”

“Okay… how’s this for a theory,” said Ron excitedly. “Fleur attacked Crouch… no wait for it… and then… did you stunned yourself Fleur?”

“And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?” said Hermione coldly.

“Oh yeah…”

Fleur rolled her eyes to the sky. This guy was unbelievable. Was he really stupid enough to accuse her of something with her there, or was he trying to lighten the mood?

“Just go through it again, Harry, Fleur.” Said Hermione. “What did Mr. Crouch actually say?”

“‘E was not making sense Mon Ange” said Fleur

“He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins…”

“Right, I forgot about zat” said Fleur “‘E seemed to zink she was dead”

Harry nodded. “He kept saying stuff was his fault… He mentioned his son.”

“Well, zat was ‘is fault,” said Fleur testily. The Golden Trio had briefed Fleur on what they had learned about Mr. Crouch from their chat with Sirius.

“He was out of his mind,” said Harry “Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions.”

“And… remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?” said Ron tentatively.

“I’ve told you,” Harry repeated dully. “He said he’s getting stronger.”

There was a pause. Then Ron said in falsely confident voice, “But he was out of his mind, like you both said,” he continued looking between Fleur and Harry “so half of it was probably just raving…”

“‘E seemed the sanest when ‘e was trying to talk about the Dark Lord.” Said Fleur, Harry nodded and Ron winced.

“He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but that was when he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore.”

Harry turned away from the window and stared up into the rafters. The many perches were half-empty; every now and then, another owl would swoop in through one of the windows, returning from its night’s hunting with a mouse in its beak.

“If Snape hadn’t held me or Krum up,” Harry said bitterly, “we might’ve got there in time. ‘The headmaster is busy Potter… what’s this rubbish, Potter?’ Why couldn’t he have just got out of the way?”

“Maybe he didn’t want you to get there!” said Ron quickly. “Maybe… hang on…how fast d’you reckon he could’ve gotten down to the forest? D’you reckon he could’ve beaten you and Dumbledore there?”

“Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something” said Harry

“Wouldn’t put it past him” Ron muttered.

“What is on your mind Mon Ange?” asked Fleur concerned noting how her Chosen had stiffen.

“Snape may be an old git, but he wouldn’t harm any of us.” Fleur nodded knowingly, just earning odd looks from Ron and Harry. “Besides, he seemed to think that there was something else…” she paused for a moment and then took a step away from Fleur and faced the three of them. “We need to see Professor Moody” she said convinced she had found something “We need to know whether he found Mr. Crouch.”

“If he had the marauder’s Map on him, it would’ve been easy” said Harry

“Unless Crouch was already outside the grounds,” said Ron, “because it only shows up to the boundaries, doesn’t…”

“Shh!” shushed Hermione suddenly.

Somebody was climbing the steps up to the Owlery. They could hear two voices arguing, coming closer and closer.

“…that’s blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that…”

“…we’ve tried being polite; it’s time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn’t like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did…”

“I’m telling you, if you put that in writing, it’s blackmail!”

“Yeah, and you won’t be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?”

The Owlery door banged open. Fred and George came over the threshold, then froze at the sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fleur.

“What’re you doing here?” Ron and Fred said at the same time.

“Sending a letter,” said Harry and George in unison.

“What, at this time?” said Hermione and Fred.

Fleur and Fred grinned.

“Fine… we won’t ask you what you’re doing, if you don’t ask us” he said. He was holding a sealed envelope in his hands. Harry glanced at it, but Fred shifted his hand so that the name on it was covered.

“Well, don’t let us hold you up,” George said, making a mock bow and pointing at the door.

Ron didn’t move. “Who’re you blackmailing?” he said

The grin vanished from Fred’s face. Harry saw George half glance at Fred before smiling at Ron.

“Don’t be stupid, I was only joking” he said easily.

“Didn’t sound like that,” said Ron

Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly. “I’ve told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can’t see why you would but…”

“It’s my business if you’re blackmailing someone,” said Ron. “George’s right, you could end up in serious trouble for that.”

“Told you, I was joking.” Said George. He walked over to Fred, pulled the letter out of his hands, and began attaching it to the leg of the nearest barn owl. “You’re starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron. Carry on like this and you’ll be made a prefect.”

“No, I won’t!” said Ron hotly

George carried the barn owl over to the window and it took off. Then he turned around and grinned at Ron.

“Well, stop telling people what to do then. See you later.”

He and Fred left the Owlery. Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at one another. Fleur just smirked. She did like those guys, they were amusing.

“You don’t think they know something about all this, do you?” Harry whispered. “About Crouch and everything?”

“No” said Hermione “if it was something that serious, they’d tell someone. They’d tell Dumbledore.”

Ron however, was looking uncomfortable.

“What is ze matter?” Fleur asked him

“Well…” said Ron slowly, “I dunno if they would. They’re… they’re obsessed with making money lately, I noticed it when I was hanging around with them… when… you know…”

“We weren’t talking.” Harry finished the sentences for him. “Yeah, but blackmail..”

“It might be this joke shop idea they’ve got” said Ron. “I thought they were only saying it to annoy Mum, but they really mean it, they want to start one. They’ve only got a year left at Hogwarts, they keep going on about how it’s time to think about their future, and Dad can’t help them, and they need gold to get started”

Hermione was looking uncomfortable now. “Yes, but… they wouldn’t do anything against the law to get gold.” Sure, some pranks were nasty, but all of them were just for fun. ‘ _I hope they’re not trying to scam my so called father_ ’ she thought to herself, reaching for Fleur’s hand in search of reassurance.

“Wouldn’t they?” said Ron, looking skeptical. “I dunno… they don’t exactly mind breaking rules, do they?”

“Yes, but neither do we” she argued, looking scared. “This is the law. This isn’t some silly school rule… They’ll get a lot more than detention or lost points for blackmail!”

“Ron…” began Harry “maybe you’d better tell Percy…”

“Are you mad?” said Ron “Tell Percy? He’d probably do a Crouch and turn them in.” He stared at the window through which Fred and George’s owl had departed, then said. “Come on, let’s get some breakfast.”

“D’you think it’s too early to go and see Professor Moody?” Hermione said as they went down the spiral staircase.

“Yes” said Harry “He’d probably blast us through the door if we wake him at the crack of dawn; he’ll think we’re trying to attack him while he’s asleep. Let’s give it till break.”

History of Magic had rarely gone so slowly. Harry kept checking Ron’s watch, having finally discarded his own, but Ron’s was moving so slowly he could have sworn it had stopped working too. All three of them were so tired they could happily have put their heads down on the desks and slept; even Hermione wasn’t taking her usual notes, but was sitting with her head on her hand, gazing at Professor Binns with her eyes out of focus.

When the bell finally rang, they hurried up into the corridors towards the Dark Arts classroom and found Professor Moody leaving it. He looked as tired as they felt. The eyelid of his normal eye was drooping, giving his face and even more lopsided appearance than usual.

“Professor Moody?” Harry called as they made their way toward him though the crowd.

“Hello, Potter,” growled Moody. His magical eye followed a couple of passing first years, who sped up, looking nervous; it rolled into the back of Moody’s head and watched them around the corner before he spoke again. “Come in here”

He stood back to let them into his empty classroom, limped in after them, and closed the door.

“Did you find him?” Harry asked without preamble. “Mr. Crouch?”

“No” said Moody. He moved over to his desk, sat down, stretched out his wooden leg with a slight groan, and pulled out his hip flask.

“Did you use the map?” Harry said.

“Of course,” said Moody, taking a swig from his flask. “Took a leaf out of your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office into the forest. He wasn’t anywhere on there.”

“So he did Disapparate?” said Ron.

“You can’t Disapparate on the grounds, Weasley!” said Moody

“There are other ways he could have disappeared, aren’t there, Professor?” asked Hermione.

Moody’s magical eye quivered as it rested on Hermione. “You’re another one who might think about a career as an Auror.” He told her. “Mind works the right way, Granger.”

Hermione flushed pink with pleasure.

“Well, he wasn’t invisible,” said Harry “the map shows invisible people. He must’ve left the grounds, then.”

“But under his own steam?” said Hermione eagerly, “or because someone made him?”

“Yeah, someone could’ve… could’ve pulled him onto a broom and flown off with him, couldn’t they?” said Ron quickly, looking hopefully at Moody as if he too wanted to be told he had the makings of an Auror.

“We can’t rule out kidnap,” growled Moody.

“So,” said Ron, “d’you reckon he’s somewhere in Hogsmeade?”

“Could be anywhere,” said Mooky, shaking his head. “Only thing we know for sure is that he’s not here.”

He yawned widely, so that his scars stretched, and his lopsided mouth revealed a number of missing teeth. Then he said. “Now, Dumbledore’s told me you three fancy yourselves as investigators, but there’s nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry’ll be looking for him now, Dumbledore notified them. Potter, you just keep your mind on the Third Task.”

“What?” said Harry “Oh yeah…”

He hadn’t given the maze a single thought since he’d left it with Krum and Fleur the previous night.

“Should be right up your street, this one,” said Moody, looking up at Harry and scratching his scarred and stubbly chin. “From what Dumbledore’s said, you’ve managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone in your first year, didn’t you?”

“We helped,” Ron said quickly “Me and Hermione helped.”

Moody grinned.

“Well, help him practice for this one, and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t win,” said Moody. “In the meantime… constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance.” He took another long draw from his hip flask, and his magical eye swiveled onto the window. The topmost sail of the Durmstrang ship was visible through it.

“You two,” conseled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and Hermione, “you stick close to Potter, all right? I’m keeping an eye on things, but all the same… you can never have many eyes out.”

Hermione briefed Fleur as soon as she was alone with her. She wanted to discuss something that she did not want the boys to find out.

“Maybe he was under the Imperius…”

“Zat would be Professor Snape’s reasoning, but ‘is eyes were fine”

“Well then, what if he was Crucioed? Neville’s parents are in Saint Mungos because of that, in the psych ward”

“Who would’ve done it, Mon Ange? And why not kill us?”

They stayed in each other’s arms for a couple minutes, just sitting on the grass, watching out to the lake.

“D’you reckon Fred and George are after my father?” asked Hermione in a soft whisper

“Why would zey? And after all zis time?... Zey care for you Mon Ange, zey wouldn’t do somezing zat would ‘urt you.”

“Maybe I should ask them about it, just in case. If they don’t want to tell me the truth, then it’s fine, as long as it won’t compromise him, or us for that matter.”

After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Hermione stood up and pulled Fleur with her. Fleur leaned in to kiss her and Hermione couldn’t help but smile.

‘ _Perhaps you’re right my love_ ’ Hermione thought. Fleur broke the kiss and stared curiously into Hermione’s deep chocolate eyes. “We ought to tell him” Fleur still looked confused. Hermione smirked and kissed her Chosen’s right cheek, then took Fleur’s hand in hers and walked toward the castle. “My father about our wedding” then she thought for a moment and added. “I’d like to tell mom and dad first though. Perhaps Dumbledore might let them come into the grounds in order to tell them. It wouldn’t be nice to tell them via owl that I’m in love and about to get married.”

Fleur smiled widely at her Chosen, and at that moment she knew that even when they had rough times, they’d made it through all that, they’d actually be happily ever after.

Sirius sent their owl back the very next morning. If fluttered down beside Harry at the same moment that a tawny owl landed in front of Hermione, clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet in its beak. She took the newspaper, scanned the first few pages, said, “Ha! She hasn’t got wind of Crouch!” She smiled at Fleur who had just sat down with them, then joined Ron and Harry reading what Sirius had to say on the mysterious events of the night before last.

_Harry! Fleur! (Since I’m sure she’s with Hermione and Hermione’s with you and Ron right now) What do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Viktor Krum?_

_Harry, I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night._

_Fleur, I can’t make you swear that, however you MUST think of Hermione, am I clear?_

_There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore, and you were probably a feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed._

_Your name didn’t get into the Goblet of Fire by accident, Harry. If someone’s trying to attack you, they’re on their last chance. Stay close to Ron and Hermione. Do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the Third Task._

_Both of you, practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn’t go amiss either. There’s nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourselves. I’m waiting for your letter giving me your word you won’t stay out-of-bounds again._

_SIRIUS_

“Who’s he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?” said Harry in mild indignation as he folded up Sirius’s letter and put it inside his robes. “After all the stuff he did at school!”

“He’s worried about you!” said Hermione sharply. “Just like Moody and Hagrid! So listen to them!”

“No one’s tried to attack me all year,” said Harry. “No one’s done anything to me at all…”

“Except put your name in the Goblet of Fire,” said Fleur.

“And they must’ve done that for a reason, Harry” said Hermione. “Snuffles is right. Maybe they’ve been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they’re going to get you.”

“Look,” said Harry impatiently, “let’s say Sirius is right, and someone stunned Fleur to kidnap Crouch. Well, they would’ve been in the trees near us, wouldn’t they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn’t they? So it doesn’t look like I’m their target, does it?”

“They couldn’t have made it look like an accident if they’d murdered you in the forest! Said Hermione. “But if you die during a task…”

“They didn’t care about attacking Fleur, did they?” said Harry. “Why didn’t they just polish me off at the same time? They could’ve made it look like Krum, Fleur and I had a duel or something.”

“Harry, I don’t understand it either,” said Hermione desperately “I just know there are a lot of odd things going on, and I don’t like it… Moddy’s right… Snuffles is right… you’ve got to get in training for the third task, straight away.” She said to both her friend and her girlfriend. “ and you” she said to Harry “make sure you write back to Sirius and promise him you’re not going to go sneaking off alone again”

For the next few days Harry and Fleur spent all of their free time either in the library with Ron and Hermione, looking up hexes, or in empty classrooms, which they sneaked into to practice. Harry was concentrating on the Stunning Spell, which he had never used before. The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifices on Ron’s and Hermione’s part.

“Can’t we kidnap Mrs. Norris?” Ron suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of their Charms classroom, having just been Stunned and reawaken by Harry for the fifth time in a row. “Let’s stun her for a bit.”

Fleur smirked. She had been practicing some hexes with Hermione, teaching her some ones and learning or improving with some others. Her Chosen had already had to go to the Infirmary or to Professor Snape a couple of times, when their healing abilities did not suffice. ‘ _He’s such a cry baby_ ’ thought Fleur

“ Or you could use Dobby” continued Ron. “Harry, I bet he’d do anything to help you. I’m not complaining or anything,” he got gingerly to his feet, rubbing his backside. “but I’m aching all over…”

“Well, you keep missing the cushions, don’t you!” said Hermione impatiently, rearranging the pile of cushions they had used for the Banishing Spell, which Flitwick had left in a cabinet. “Just try and fall backward!”

“Once you’re stunned, you can’t aim to well, Mon Ange” said Fleur smirking.

“Yeah, Hermione!” said Ron angrily “Why don’t you take a turn?”

“Because if she took a turn wiz ze Stunning, you’d ‘ave to take a turn wiz my ‘exes” said Fleur still smirking, while helping Hermione with the cushions. Ron paled at that possibility.

“Well, I think Harry’s got it now, anyway.” Said Hermione hastily. “And we don’t have to worry about Disarming, because he’s been able to do that for ages… I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening.”

She looked down the list they had made in the library.

“I like the look of this one,” she said to both Harry and Fleur “this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that’s trying to attack you. We’ll start with that one next.”

The bell rang, and they hastily slipped out of the classroom.

“See you at dinner!” said Hermione, she leaned into Fleur for a haste kiss and then she set off for Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron headed toward the North Tower, and Divinations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just regarding Hermione's reaction to Ron and his attitude and words...
> 
> We women, no matter what we tell everyone else (including other women) love to hear people praise us, including and not limited for our beauty or good looks, even we tomboyish girls… so seeing that Hermione is indeed a girl, therefore a woman, she was mad at Ron mainly for that reason, and the fact that he was stupid enough to make fun of her and her date. 
> 
> Sure, she does not like Ron that way, but as women our ego just gets nourished when someone asks you out, if it’s a friend who does that, even if you do not want anything but friendship with said friend. The simple fact to know that they realized they like you, or that they at least acknowledge you’re a girl, and a pretty girl at that, is thrilling. Okay, Ron did asked her out, but it was not because he realized those things, so it pisses everyone (women or not) to be used, or that someone tries to use you for their own personal agenda, Ron did not ask her because he wanted to go out with her, not even as a friend, but because he did not want to look bad without a date, and that my friend is just so not cool.


	17. Surprises

**_Chapter 17_ **

**_Surprises_ **

“Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who’s getting stronger again as well?” Ron whispered

Harry had seen a lot of things regarding Karkaroff, Snape and Crouch on a Pensieve in Dumbledore’s office, and naturally he decided to share said information with his friends, along with nearly everything Dumbledore had told and shown him afterward. He had also sent a letter to Sirius.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat up late in the common room once again that night, talking it over until Harry’s mind was reeling, until he understood what Dumbledore had meant about a head becoming so full of thoughts that it would have been a relief to have a Pensieve of his own.

Ron stared into the common room fire. Harry thought he saw Ron shiver slightly, even though the evening was warm.

“And he trusts Snape?” Ron said “He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?”

“Yes” said Harry

Hermione had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. Harry thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensieve. Truth be told, Hermione was having a lot more that what was said on her mind, she had asked Dumbledore to grant her parents permission to come to Hogwarts as soon as possible, just to let them know about Fleur in person, she didn’t want to wait another month or so until the school finished. She also wanted to tell them about her so called father, and let them know what he thought about going to another school next year or the possible danger by staying here. Of course she was already in danger by being Harry’s friend and her “father’s” daughter, so there wouldn’t be much change in that. There was also the fact that she hat to tell everyone about her engagement. And she still had to let Harry and Ron know about her veela heritage. Sadly, Dumbledore had denied her because the school term was almost over, however he agreed to go along with her father to the Granger household the very next day she arrived home. But of course, her mind rationally told her to focus on the matter at hand.

“Rita Skeeter,” she murmured finally

“How can you be worrying about her now?” said Ron in utterly disbelief.

“I’m not worrying about her,” Hermione said to her knees. “I’m just thinking… remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? ‘I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.’ This is what she meant, isn’t it? She reported his trial, she knew he’d passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember… “Ludo Bagman’s a bad wizard.’ Mrr Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home.”

“Yeah, but Bagman didn’t pass information on purpose, did he?” asked Harry. Hermione shrugged.

“And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?” Ron said, turning to back to Harry.

“Yeah,” said Harry, “but he’s only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage.”

“We never thought of her, did we?” said Ron slowly. “Mind you, she’s definitely got giant blood, and she doesn’t want to admit it…”

“Of course she doesn’t,” said Hermione sharply, looking up. “Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she’s part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I’d probably say I had big bones too, if I knew that’s what I’d get for telling the truth. Besides, why would she attack Fleur?” Hermione looked at her watch. “We haven’t done any practicing!” she said looking shocked. “We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We’ll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Good thing Fleur had to stay late today with Madame Maxime. Come on, Harry, you need to get some sleep.”

Harry and Ron went slowly upstairs to their dormitory. Just when Hermione was starting her way up to the girls room, she heard whispers getting close, coming from the boys staircase so she decided to wait up and see who it was. She was gratefully surprised to see the Weasley twins coming down.

“Fred, George” she acknowledged them

The boys stopped dead in their tracks, they hadn’t expected to see someone up this late in the night.

“Hermione” said George, worry evident in his voice.

“Are you okay?” asked Fred

“Did anything happened between you and Fleur?” said George

Hermione shook her head. And smiled at them. “Fleur was right about you two, you know?” The twins looked confused at her “You’re really good friends, and I appreciate it”

The twins smiled at her too and both of them rushed to crash her in a bear hug.

“We love you too” said Fred

“And we cherish your friendship” said George

“And we appreciate the fact that…” began Fred

“you stand our wit of a brother” finished George

“Guys, if you’re in trouble, don’t ever doubt coming to me. Okay?” she asked meaningfully

Fred and George knew where this was going, but kept smiling at their friend.

“Don’t worry,”

“We’re fine, just messing around”

“You’re not messing with my father right?” asked Hermione nervously

“Well, we’re planning on doing some testing…” said George smirking

“To some of our new products” said Fred

“But nothing to worry about” said both.

Hermione smiled up and bid the good night. “Just try to stay out of trouble” she concluded.

“You too.” Said Fred

“We’ve noticed that even when you do spend a lot of time with Fleur…”

“A lot of guys keep hitting on you”

“And here I was hoping to go unnoticed” said Hermione, climbing up the stairs.

Ron and Hermione were supposed to be studying for their exams, which would finish on the day of the day of the Third Task, but they were putting most of their efforts into helping Harry and Fleur prepare.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hermione said shortly when Harry pointed this out to them and said he didn’t mind practicing on his own for a while,

“‘arry is right Mon Ange. You should study for you exams.” Said Fleur “We could practice against each ozer, right ‘Arry?” Harry nodded vehemently

“At least we’ll get top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We’d never found out about all these hexes in class.” Answered Hermione

“Good training for when we’re all Aurors,” said Ron excitedly, attempting the Impediment Curse on a wasp that hat buzzed into the room and making it stop dead in midair.

The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term. Harry was practicing hexes at every available moment. Hermione felt more confident about his friend and girlfriend with this task than either of the others.

Tired of walking in on Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fleur all over the school, Professor McGonagall had given them permission to use the empty Transfiguration classroom at lunchtimes. Harry and Hermione too, had soon mastered the Impediment Curse that she was so eager about; the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to bast solid objects out of his way; and Fleur had taught them the Four-Point Spell, a useful spell that would make their wands point due north, therefore enabling them to check weether they were going in the right direction.

However, Harry was still having trouble with the Shield Charm, that was supposed to cast a temporary invisible wall around himself that deflected minor curses; Fleur managed to shatter it with a well placed Jelly-Legs Jinx, and Harry wobbled around the room for ten minutes afterward before Hermione had managed to conjure up the counter-jinx.

“You’re still doing really well, though,” Hermione said encouragingly, looking down her list and crossing off those spells they had already learned. “Some of these are bound to come in handy.”

“And the ones Fleur has taught us too” said Harry smiling.

“Come and look at this,” said Ron, who was standing by the window. He was staring down onto the grounds. “What’s Malfoy doing?”

Harry, Fleur and Hermione went to see. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing in the shadow of a tree below. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be keeping a lookout; both were smirking. Malfoy was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it.

“He looks like he’s using a walkie-talkie,” said Harry curiously

“He can’t be,” said Hermione. “I’ve told you, those sorts of things don’t work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry,” she added briskly, turning away from the window and moving back into the middle of the room, “let’s try that Shield Charm again.”

Sirius was sending daily owls now. Like Hermione, he seemed to want to concentrate on getting Harry through the last task before they concerned themselves with anything else. He reminded Harry in every letter that whatever might be going on outside the walls of Hogwarts was not Harry’s responsibility, nor was it within his power to influence it.

Fleur’s nerves mounted as June the twenty-fourth drew closer, for one thing, in the last few days, Hermione had decided she did indeed needed to catch up with her studies and Fleur by Madame’s orders had to focus on hers too, so they didn’t have much free time together.

For another thing, her Chosen’s thrall was being stronger, a lot of the boys from Hogwarts, along with all from Durmstrang and a few unfortunate from Beauxbatons, had decided to try their luck and ask Hermione out.

Then there was the fact that Hermione was still nervous about telling her parents, the three of them, about their decision to get married.

Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. By now, Fleur didn’t even bother to go with her schoolmates before breakfast; she always went straight to the Gryffindor table.

The post owls appeared, bringing Harry a good-luck card from Sirius. It was only a piece of parchment folded over and bearing a muddy paw print on its front, but Harry appreciated it all the same. A silver owl arrived for Fleur with a letter that was from her father, wishing her good luck and assuring that no matter the results, she was proud of her, and really happy to be soon to make the announcement of her engagement. A screech owl arrived for Hermione, carrying her morning copy of the Daily Prophet as usual. She unfolded the paper, glanced at the front page, and spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice all over it.

“What?” said Harry and Ron together, staring at her. Fleur just scowled as she read the news.

“Nothing,” said Hermione quickly, trying to grab the paper out of sight once Fleur was over, but Ron grabbed it. He stared at the headline.

“No way. Not today. That old cow!” said Ron

“What?” said Harry. “Rita Skeeter again?”

“No” said Ron, and just like Hermione, he attempted to push the paper out of sight.

“It’s about me, isn’t it?” said Harry.

“No.” said Ron, in an entirely unconvincing tone.

But before Harry could demand to see the paper, Draco Malfoy shouted across the Great Hall from the Slytherin table.

“Hey, Potter! Potter! How’s your head? You feeling all right? Sure you’re not going to go berserk on us?”

Malfoy was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet too. Slytherins up and down the table were sniggering, twisting in their seats to see Harry’s reaction.

“Let me see it,” Harry said to Ron. “Give it here.”

Very reluctantly, Ron handed over the newspaper. Harry turned in over and found himself staring at his own picture, beneath the banner headline.

**HARRY POTTER**

**“DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS”**

The boy who defeated He Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter’s strange behavior, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Torunament, or even attend Hogwarts School.

Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying.

It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potter’s brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion.

“He might even be pretending.” Said one specialist. “This could be a plea for attention.”

The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public.

“Potter can speak Parseltongue” reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth year. “There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a dueling club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he’s made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he’d do anything for a bit of power.”

Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Paserlmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defense League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue “as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark magic, and are historically associated with evildoers.” Similarly “anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence.”

Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening.

“Gone of me a bit, hasn’t she?” said Harry lightly, folding up the paper.

Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were laughing at him, tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces, and waggling their tongues like snakes.

“How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?” Ron said. “There’s no way she was there, there’s no way she could’ve heard…”

“The window was open,” said Harry. “I opened it to breathe.”

“You were at the top of North Tower!” Hermione said “Your voice couldn’t have carried all the way down to the grounds!”

“Well, you’re the one who’s supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!” said Harry angrily “You tell me how she did it!”

“I’ve been trying!” said Hermione “But I… but…”

“She ‘as also been busy ‘elping us prepare for ze task ‘Arry” intervened Fleur

And odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione’s face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Are you all right?” said Ron, frowning at her.

“Yes,” said Hermione breathlessly. She ran her fingers through her hair again and then held her hand up to her mouth, as though speaking into an invisible walkie-talkie. Harry, Ron and Fleur stared at each other.

“I’ve had an idea,” Hermione said, gazing into space. “I think I know… because then no one would be able to see… even Moody… and she’d have been able to get onto the window ledge… but she’s not allowed… she’s definitely not allowed… I think Just give me two seconds in the Library… just to make sure!”

She leaned in to kiss Fleur, happy she had finally solved the mystery. “ _We’ve got her!_ ” She thought.

“We do Mon Ange?” asked Fleur when they came apart. Hermione just smiled at her , then seized her school bag and dashed out of the Great Hall.

“Oi!” Ron called after her. “We’ve got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Blimey.” He said, turning back to a confused Harry and a grinning Fleur. “She must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam”

“She does ‘ate Skeeter.” Said Fleur “But she’ll be in time” just then Professor McGonagall came waling alongside the Gryffindor table toward them.

“Potter, Miss Delacour. The champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast.” she said

“But the task’s not till tonight!” said Harry, accidentally spilling scrambled eggs down his front, afraid he had mistaken the time.

“I’m aware of that Potter,” she said “The champion’s families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them.” Then she turned to Fleur. “I’ll let Miss Granger in there as soon as she finish up her tests… she has visitors too”

She moved away and both, Harry and Fleur gaped after her.

“She doesn’t expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?” asked Harry blankly

“You don’t suppose she means ze Grangers are ‘ere, do you?” asked Fleur, now more worried about her future in laws than the Third Task. How could they be there anyway, Hermione told her that Professor Dumbledore had denied her the visit, why would he change his mind, and specially, why on a moment like this?

“Dunno,” said Ron to both of them “Listen, I’d better hurry, I’m going to be late for Binns. See you later.”

Harry and Fleur finished their breakfast in silence in the emptying Great Hall. They saw Cedric standing up and joining Krum as he crossed to side chamber and entered. Harry and Fleur were both afraid of going in, each for their own reasons, but afraid nevertheless. Just as they were getting up, the door of the side chamber opened and Cedric stuck his head out.

“Harry, Fleur! Come on, they’re waiting for you!”

Utterly perplexed, Harry walked to the entrance, followed closely by Fleur.

Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. He had inherited his father’s hooked nose.

On the other side of the room, Fleur noticed her mother and sister jabbering away in French to her father. Gabby was holding her mother’s hand. Then she noticed both of them and waved. They waved back and Fleur walked to them.

Then Harry saw Mrs. Weasley and Bill standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.

Mrs. Weasley excitedly “Surprise!” directed to Harry, was the last thing Fleur could hear before realizing that there were more people in there. On the opposite corner to where Krum was, there stood Professor Snape, talking to two people she had never seen. Her heart stopped when Professor Snape noded toward her and those people with him, turned to look at her.

“Do not worry about a thing” she managed to hear her father whispering in French in her ear. “We’ve been introduced”

“You’ve been what? Why? She hasn’t told them yet! Dumbledore said they couldn’t come and she didn’t want to owl them with the news!” replied Fleur also in French.

In the middle of her ramble, she didn’t realize that the Grangers and Snape were approaching them.

“Hello” said a soft feminine voice behind her “You must be Fleur” Fleur turned around and just nodded

“Hi” began the male “We’re Hermione’s parents, she’s owled us about you all through the year, she says you’ve become rather close, right?”

Again, Fleur could only manage to nod.

“Well, Professor Dumbledore said that she would be happy to have us here, specially since her best friends are in this competition. Dumbledore said he was making an exception just to let us talk to her” said Hermione’s mother, smiling at Fleur.

“Professor Snape was about to take us to Dumbledore’s office to see Hermione when you came in, so…” said Hermione’s father “It was nice meeting you Fleur. And good luck by the way.”

Then they turned around, Fleur noticed Snape smirking down at her before he turned to leave too. He lead the Grangers out, through a back door. As soon as they were gone she collapsed to the floor.

“This will wreck havoc” she managed to whisper in French.

Gabrielle nodded her agreement, while her parents just stood there smirking at her daughter.


	18. Revelations

**_Chapter 18_ **

**_Revelations_ **

Fleur managed to tag along with her parents as Apolline showed her husband around Hogwarts. Gabrielle was also excited about having her father there, and she too helped in the tour. Fleur however could only walk a few steps behind them. Sometimes her father would walk beside her, some others beside Gabby.

They returned to the castle for lunch. Fleur noticed that the Weasley pack was sitting at the Gryffindor table along with Harry who looked more at ease than she had ever seen him, almost as if he actually felt at home.

Fleur walked up to them, surprising her father who had just assumed that she would sit with the other Beauxbatons students.

“She always sits with Hermione” whispered Apolline in French into his ear. He smiled and joined her daughter, while Apolline and Gabby took a seat at the Ravenclaw table.

For a couple of minutes Fleur lost herself into the conversation with Harry and the Weasleys, she almost forgot about the Grangers and the Third Task. And not until Hermione turned up, halfway through lunch, did she remembered. Apparently, Harry also remembered something, since upon seeing her walking along with her parents, whom had been introduced to him, Molly and Bill Weasley by Professor Snape, he stood up offering his spot next to Fleur, while he asked her about Rita Skeeter.

“Are you going to tell us…?

Hermione shook her head warningly and glanced at Mrs. Weasley.

“Hello, Hermione,” said Mrs. Weasley, much more stiffly than usual.

“Hello,” said Hermione, her smile faltering at the cold expression on Mrs. Weasley’s face.

Fleur looked at Hermione, and put a comforting hand above her Chosen’s hands. Action that did not go unnoticed by the Grangers.

Harry looked between them, then said. “Mrs. Weasley, you didn’t believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you? Because, Hermione’s not my girlfriend.” Then he looked at Fleur’s father and the Grangers, who had sat in front of her daughter. “We’re only friends, always been. Never anything else. Right ‘Mione?”

Hermione nodded in agreement, still at a loss of words, this was turning out to be way too much to handle.

“Oh!” said Mrs. Weasley. “No… of course I didn’t” But she became considerably warmer toward Hermione after that.

“‘Ermione.” Said Fleur, reluctant to let it slip in front of Hermione’s parents the truth about their relationship that soon.

Hermione noticed that she did not call her by her pet name, and raised her gaze to the blonde’s one, asking in that gesture why was that? She felt hurt. Fleur could see that in her chocolate eyes and glanced briefly at the Grangers, Hermione nodded, still hurting.

“I’d like to introduce you to someone” said Fleur smiling. Hermione then noticed that there was a man sitting at Fleur’s left side.

“‘ello” said the man. “My name is Nikos Delacour. I am Fleur’s fazer” he said extending his right hand to Hermione.

Hermione took it in a beat. “Monsieur Delacour. It’s an honor to meet you and to have you here, supporting Fleur”

“I’m also supporting you, mademoiselle” he said smirking when Hermione freed his hand.

As soon as they finished lunch and were all about to leave, Professor Snape approached the table.

“Miss Granger, Miss Delacour. Professor Dumbledore would like to have a word with you and your, parents, in his office.” He said to them and then turned to the grownups. “If you please, follow me.”

They followed the potions master in silence through a couple of corridors until they reached the Gargoyles guarding the entrance to the Headmaster’s office.

“Climb up the staircase, tell the Headmaster I’ll come up shortly” said Snape turning around.

“Why would your teacher be there too ‘Mione. Are you in trouble?” asked her father

Hermione’s head dropped to the floor, finding all of a sudden that the intricate pattern was way too interesting.

“Non, Monseiur Granger” intervined Fleur

“I believe she’s right” said Hermione’s mother to her husband “If our daughter was in trouble, why would they want to speak to them too?” she concluded motioning to the Delacour family.

“We should hurry up, ‘Edmaster Dumbledore is waiting for us” said Nikos

As they climbed the stairs, a lot of scenarios came rushing to the Granger’s minds, while both Hermione and Fleur were a bit frightened of the results of the conversations that would surely take place in Dumbledore’s office. Hermione knew the first part was relatively easy, tell her parents about her real father and mother. Everything would get tricky from there. Why hadn’t Dumbledore let her know he changed his mind? Give her a little time to prepare and find out the best way to tell them the truth?

As soon as they entered, Dumbledore got to his feet and summoned a few cushion seats, and motioned everyone to take a seat.

The Grangers noticed that there was still one seat left, which they supposed was for Professor Snape, and that Fleur and Hermione had sat together in the cushion in front of the headmaster’s chosen seat, leaving the other seats vacant for them and the Delacours to take.

“Lemon drop?” offered Dumbledore with the usual twinkle in his eyes. Once again everyone refused to take the offered candy. “Very well then… So we should start with what brings us here”

“Uhm, Professor Snape said he would come shortly, shouldn’t we wait for him?” asked Hermione, hoping to stall this as long as possible.

Dumbledore smiled at her “Miss Granger, he has just arrived” he said as the door to his office opened and Professor Snape came in. The potions master nodded to the Grangers and took a spot near Professor Dumbledore, choosing to remain standing instead of sitting down.

“Now that we are all here, I want to assure you that none of this is bad, well it can be looked as a possibly dangerous thing, but…”

“What the Headmaster is trying to say, is that neither Miss Granger, nor Miss Delacour are in deep trouble. But things must be cleared out. That is why we are all here” interrupted Snape, annoyed by Dumbledore’s ranting.

“I couldn’t have said it better my self Severus” said a smirking Dumbledore.

“Ok. This is odd” said Hermione’s mother “First, being here and all. I know you said that you were making an exception to the rules, but why if Hermione’s not in trouble? You said it was important, and I do not believe that this Tournament you’re having is important enough to let non magical people into the castle.”

“Mom, dad…” said Hermione nervously, gaining everybody’s attention. “This is about a lot of things, but they all relate to what you told me over summer holidays”

“You’re saying they know the truth?” asked his father looking at the Delacours

“Yes” said Hermione, reaching for Fleur’s hand “And by now, they know more than you do”

“I can see that!” yelled Hermione’s father “I know you said you were close but this!? This is way too much!” he said pointing to their intertwined hands. “You! You did this to her!” He yelled at Fleur. Hermione snapped and turned her gaze on her father, then turned it back to Fleur who was looking down, pain evident in her motions, and then back to her dad.

“DAD! I love you, I do, but I demand that you refrain from yelling at My Chosen from now on!”

This took everyone by surprise, Hermione was now standing between her dad and Fleur.

“Chosen! What the bloody hell does that mean!?” he yelled past Hermione, failing to notice that his daughter’s eyes were now a deep yellow instead of the chocolate ones he knew, his wife however did noticed that and gasped, which made him turn around and watch how she paled. “Look at what you did!” he yelled at Fleur “She had never raised her voice at us and look at her mother!” he said as he finally realized the cold stare his daughter was giving him.

Fleur put a hand on Hermione’s shoulder trying to comfort and calm her a little bit. “Easy Mon Ange… take a deep breaz”

“I don’t need a French thieve’s help with my daughter!” He yelled at Fleur

“I will not tolerate him yelling at you” said Hermione between her teeth. Her yellow eyes flaring with rage at her dad, who was too stubborn to back down, even if he was now slightly afraid of the way Hermione looked.

Snape moved towards the veelas and put a hand on Hermione’s free shoulder “Hermione, please do as Miss Delacour says. I’ll deal with this” then he turned his gaze to Hermione’s appointed dad. “Mr. Granger, I do suggest you also take a deep breath and calm down”

“How do you expect me to calm down when my own daughter had just yelled at me!”

Hermione tensed a little more when her dad decided to also yell at Professor Snape. Snape did noticed that and tightened his grip on her shoulder.

“Don’t you dare to yell at him!” she said threatening to her dad.

“Don’t do anything too rash. We still have a long chatting to do” said Snape smiling down at her when she looked up at him. Slowly she calmed down and her eyes went back to normal.

“Thanks” she mumbled to Snape who nodded his head and retrieved his hand, but he remained standing there.

“Dad, please sit down. Professor Snape is right. We still have a lot to cover, and I’d rather we do that before it’s time for the task” said Hermione sitting down herself and Fleur in the couch again.

“And you just expect me to sit by and do nothing…!?” began his dad

“Eric, you’ll do just that. We must at least listen to what they have to say before jumping off to conclusions.” Said Hermione’s mother.

Eric Granger looked at his wife’s determined expression and decided to do as she asked.

“Make it quick” he demanded looking at Dumbledore who was a little to interested in eating one of his candies.

Dumbledore smirked. “Miss Granger’s biological parents were students at Hogwarts. Her mother was killed before her father’s eyes by Voldemort; I made everyone believe she was also dead, but only because her father asked me to protect the child, after all, he was a high ranking Death Eater. So I put a glamour on her and sent her to a muggle orphanage. Hermione is not completely human. Miss Delacour is just the same as her. They both are from the same kind of magical creatures. And they have an announcement to make.” He looked around, realizing that even Severus was gaping at him. “Lemon Drop?” he said offering the candies again to the people around him.

“I do not believe Monseiur Granger meant it to be literally zat quick, ‘Eadmaster” said Nikos Delacour, taking a lemon drop into his mouth to try and suppress the smirk on his mouth upon seeing Eric Granger’s stunned face.

“What is a Death Eater? Is that what Hermione is too?” asked Hermione’s mom

“No, I am NOT a Death Eater.” Said firmly Hermione

“Death Eaters are followers of Voldemort, also known as the Dark Lord.” Said Dumbledore “An evil wizard who caused havoc in our world until he disappeared defeated by Harry Potter 15 years ago”

“What kind of magical creature then?” asked Hermione’s mom

“Veela. We are veelas” said Apolline “Hermione and my self are half-blood veelas, while my daughters are only a quarter veela”

“However that is irrelevant” said Snape gaining everybody’s attention. “No matter the amount of veela blood on their veins,” he said gesturing to Fleur, Hermione and Apoline “they’re veelas for all intents and purposes. Which is part of why we are all here”

Dumbledore, Apoline, and Fleur nodded their agreement.

“What was that with her eyes?” asked Eric to Dumbledore, who gave a tiny chuckle in return.

“I’m not veela, Mr. Granger” he said taking another Lemon Drop into his mouth. “However I believe that it was a sign of her rage. She was about to transform into her real form. Am I correct?” he asked to Apoline and Severus. They both nodded.

“Yes Albus” finally said Snape “You see,” he said turning his attention to the Grangers “veelas are quite protective of what is theirs. So if you attack someone they care about, they react”

“You can’t possibly mean she cares for you more than she cares for me” said dumbfounded Eric Granger “She’s my daughter”

“It is not a matter of who she cares more about” said Apolline “but ze fact zat you were attacking people she cares about. If anyone of us ‘ere were attacking you, or your wife, she would ‘ave reacted ze same way. Except maybe wiz Fleur, she is ‘er Chosen after all”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Hermione’s mother “She asked Eric not to yell at her ‘Chosen’, but what is it exactly? Chosen for what?”

Apolline was about to answer when her husband put a hand on her shoulder letting her know that it was not her place to tell, so she looked at Hermione who upon seeing everyone gazing at her, took a deep breath and nodded.

“She is my soul mate.” She said looking into her mother’s eyes “As veelas we fall in love only once in our lives, and it is for ever, so the person we fall in love with, is our Chosen. The tricky part here is that we literally can’t live without them, so if they don’t love us back, we die.” She said holding Fleur’s hand in hers, lifting the blonde’s chin with her free hand, to make her look her in the eyes. “I’m lucky to be her Chosen too” she said smiling to Fleur.

“I am ze lucky one, Mon Ange” said Fleur finally smiling back

Hermione turned her gaze to her mom and dad again. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I wanted to do that in person, not in a letter” she said sheepishly “And…” she doubted, upon the recent events, she was not sure that confessing everything was such a good idea.

“What is it?” asked sweetly her mother

“Well, Fleur asked me to marry her. I said yes” said Hermione looking to her dad

“WHAT! No! I do not accept that!” said Eric Granger

Snape scowled at him, then looked at the Delacours who were smiling at the young veelas, then to Dumbledore who was smirking, and finally to Fleur and Hermione.

“I don’t care if anybody agrees” said Hermione glaring again at her dad “I just wanted to tell you. You are my parents, and you are important to me, so I wanted to share my happiness with you. If you can’t accept that, then don’t. I will not beg you.”

Her mother nodded and warmly smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re happy and that you’re not in troubles”

“Yet” said Snape

“What? Why?” asked concerned Hermione’s mother

“Because of her veela heritage, next year the glamour I put on her will dissolve, and people will start to relate her with her mother and well unfortunately some Death Eaters, to her father too” said Dumbledore

“Unfortunately?” asked Eric Granger

“Yes,” said Snape “so I suggest that she goes into another school, where no one knew us”

“Us?” asked Hermione’s mother

“Geles and me” said Snape

“Who is Geles?” asked Eric Granger

“She was my mother, she was a veela; and Professor Snape was her Chosen” said Hermione

“You mean, he is your real father?” asked her mom.

Hermione shook her head. “No. He is my biological father, not my real father, there’s a difference.” She said sternly

“I do not believe there is ‘Mione” said her mother

“Yes there is,” replied stubbornly Hermione “I told you on a letter when I was going back for Christmas break, before I knew the truth.” She turned her gaze to Snape “Parents are not the ones who give birth to you,” she turned her gaze back to the Grangers “but the ones who take care of you and make sure you’re always fed, and healthy and happy. You’ve always done that” she said smiling, then turning again to face Snape again “Sorry, I understand why you did that, but I think there were other solutions…”

“I understand” said Snape smiling to her “And even when I’m the old greasy git. I am happy you found a good home, and I’m really proud of you, all of what you’ve accomplished through the years.”

Hermione smiled at him, she knew things would change between them from now on, she had finally accepted him as her father, and he was finally accepting that she actually still cared about her.

“Hold it just a minute then!” said Eric Granger. Everyone turned to him. Then he looked accusingly at Dumbledore “You said that her father was a Death Eater, and from what I gather, that is a bad thing, and still you hired him as a teacher and let him come near my girl, that is unacceptable”

Dumbledore had gotten to his feet.

“I have given evidence already on this matter,” he said calmly. “Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort’s downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am.” He said while taking out a stone basin from a cupboard nearby. “If you wish I can show you how it all happened…”

“I brought you this” said Snape handing a vial to Hermione. “Now I can show you what I didn’t want to, last time we spoke about this, Hermione” said Snape. Referring to the moment her mother died

“Thank you” said Hermione taking the vial, securing it into her robes

“How will you show us?” asked Hermione’s mother

Dumbledore smiled and motioned everyone to gather around the basin.

“This is called a Pensieve,” said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, “One simply siphons the excess thoughts or memories from one’s mind,” he said while taking out a silver thread from his head with his wand “pours them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.” He finished while pouring another memory into the Pensieve.

The time came for the evening feast. The Grangers sat at the far end of the staff table; while Apolline, Gaby and Nikos Delacour chose to sit at the Ravenclaw table, still chatting about the whole ordeal. Fleur, still nervous, sat as usual at the Gryffindor table with Harry, Ron and of course Hermione.

Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Madame Maxime, looked stern and was not talking. Madame Maxime was concentrating on her plate, and Fleur noticed that her eyes looked red. Hagrid kept glancing along the table at her.

There were more courses than usual, but Fleur, who was really nervous now, didn’t eat much. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes’ time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now.”

Harry and Fleur got up. The Gryffindors all along the table were applauding. The Weasleys and Hermione all whished them good luck. Fleur leaned in to Hermione and hugged her.

“I’m sorry Mon Ange” she said still holding her. Hermione returned the hug, tracing soft circles on Fleur’s back.

“Don’t be. Just be careful” they separated and Hermione kissed Fleur fiercely. “Take that as a good luck token,” she said straightening “for today’s task” she winked at Fleur who was gaping at her. “They’re waiting for you my love” she finished, urging Fleur to leave.

Fleur turned and walked to the Ravenclaw table, hugged her sister and both of her parents. Then she was surprised when Hermione’s mother came up to her and also hugged her, and Mr. Granger shook her hand.

“Be careful. You’ll break her heart if something happens to you.” He said.

“I will” she replied smiling widely

Finally she headed off out of the Great Hall with Harry, Cedric and Krum.

They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats.


	19. The Third Task

**_Chapter 19_ **

**_The Third Task_ **

The sky was a deep clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwich came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the Champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his vest.

“We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze,” said Professor McGonagall to the champions. “If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?”

The champions nodded.

“Off you go, then!” said Bagman brightly to the four patrollers, and the four of them walked away in different directions, to station themselves around the maze. Bagman now pointed his wand at his throat, muttered ‘sonorus’, and his magically magnified voice echoed into the stands. “Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand. Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each, Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy, and Mr. Harry Potter of Hogwarts School!” The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky.

Fleur could just make out Hermione, the Granger’s and her family, applauding Fleur and Harry, halfway up the stands. She waved up at them and they waved back, Hermione beaming at her.

“In second place, with eighty points, Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place, Mr. Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts School!” More applause “So… on my whistle, Fleur and Harry!” continued Bagman “Three… two… one…”

He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Fleur hurried toward into the maze.

The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick, or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment they entered the maze. Fleur felt almost as though she was underwater again. She pulled out her wand, muttered ‘Lumos’ and heard Harry do the same just behind her.

After about fifty yards, they reached a fork. They looked at each other.

“See you at ze end, ‘Arry” Fleur said, and she took the right one, while Harry too the left.

Fleur heard Bagman’s whistle for the second time, which surprised her because that was the only thing she could hear from outside the maze. And that meant they were letting her and Harry know that Krum had entered the maze. She sped up, her chosen path seemed completely deserted. She turned left, and hurried on, holding her wand high over her head, trying to see as far ahead as possible. Still there was nothing in sight.

Bagman’s whistle blew in the distance for the third time. All of the champions were now inside.

Fleur kept looking behind her. The feeling that she was being watched crept to her body. The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy. She reached a second fork.

“Point me” she whispered to her wand, holding it flat in her palm. The wand spun around once and pointed toward her right, into the solid hedge. That way was north, and she knew she needed to go northwest for the center of the maze. The best she could do was to take the left fork and go right again as soon as possible.

The path ahead was empty too, and when Fleur reached a right turn and took it, she again found her way unblocked. Fleur didn’t know why, but the lack of obstacles was unnerving her. Surely she should have met something by now? Some of those creatures Hermione told her that Hagrid loved. Then she heard movement right behind her. She held out her wand, ready to attack but its beam fell only upon Hermione, who had just hurried out of a path on the right-hand side. Hermione looked severely mad.

“What ez it Mon Ange?” Asked Fleur concerned

“My dad was right. You made me think of me as something I am not. So I found my way here to make things easier.” Said Hermione coming closer to Fleur “I will not marry you” she said punctuating each word. “I thought I love you, but truth is, it’s only an infatuation.”

“What?” asked Fleur in a whisper, feeling defeated again.

“Well, it is nothing now.” Continued Hermione “I came to break up in private, to spare you the embarrassment of making it publicly” said Hermione smugly

“You don’t mean zat” said Fleur, tears on her eyes. “I know you don’t mean it” she repeated looking at Hermione’s face, who was scowling down at her. Fleur did not know when she kneeled down.

“Oh but I do.” Said Hermione “All the trouble I’ve been through for this… you’re not even worth it”

Then hope flashed through Fleur’s eyes. Her Angel would never say something like that, not to anyone, okay, maybe she would to the Malfoys, but it was not the same context. “Do you ‘ate me mon ange?” she asked smiling at Hermione while standing up.

“You’re not even worthy of my hatred” said Hermione crossing her arms

Fleur smiled and closed the distance between them. She leaned on Hermione who squirmed and Fleur smiled. “You are not My Chosen” she said with the point of her wand at Hermione’s stomach. “I should ‘ave seen it sooner” then she leaned further and whispered in her ear. “Zank you… Riddikulus!”

There was a loud crack, and Hermione smiled a sad smile, then she exploded in a wisp of smoke.

“Never liked Boggarts” muttered Fleur then she knew there was something she had to do about her fears. “Expecto Patronum!” she conjured, and a giant silver hawk erupted from the end of her wand. “Find ‘Ermione and tell ‘er. ‘I love you and I am glad you un’ated me’” with that, the silver hawk squealed and flew up into the dark sky.

Fleur moved on quickly and as quietly as possible, listening hard, her wand held high once more.

Twice she found herself facing dead ends. She did the Four-Points Spell again and found that she was going to far east. She turned back, took a right turned and then heard a muffled scream. Then there was silence. She stared all around her. What had happened? Who had screamed? What had they met? She decided to hurry forward to the place where she thought the scream had come from. She paused at a junction of two paths and looked around for some sign of anyone. There was no sign of red sparkles… did that mean that they had got themselves out of trouble, or that they couldn’t reach their wand?

The cup was somewhere close by, and it sounded as though that at least one champion was no longer in the running. She met nothing for ten minutes, but kept running into dead ends. Finally, she found a new route and started to jog along it, her wandlight waving, making her shadow flicker and distort on the hedge walls.

Then she rounded another corner and found herself facing a Blast-Ended-Skrewt, and it was enormous. Ten feet long, it looked more like a giant scorpion than anything. Its long sting was curled over its back. Its thick armor glinted in the light from Fleur’s wand, which she pointed at it.

Fleur looked for an opening in its armor and as soon as she found it she yelled “IMPEDIMENTA” The skrewt was inches from her when it froze. Remembering that the curse was not permanent and therefore the skrewt would be regaining use of its legs at any moment, Fleur pushed herself away from it and ran in the opposite direction.

After hitting two more dead ends, she forced herself to stop and performed the Four Point Spell again, choosing then the path that would take her northwest.

She was had been hurrying along the new path for a few minutes when she had to stop to catch her breath. Then she heard something crawling behind her. She turned around and she saw Viktor Krum, with his wand directly on her chest.

“What are you doing?” she asked glaring at him

“Crucio!” conjured Krum

The air was suddenly full of Fleur’s yells. Fleur was jerking and twitching on the ground, she was hurting so bad. Just when she was about to faint from the pain, it suddenly stopped, but she remained lying there panting, and her hands over her face.

“Are you all right?” Harry said roughly, grabbing Fleur’s arm.

“Oui” panted Fleur. “Yes… I… I don’t believe it, ‘e crept up be’ind me” she said while she got up but was still shaking. She and Harry looked down at Krum who had been stunned by Harry.

“I thought he was all right” Harry said

“I did not zink ‘e wanted to win so much.” Fleur said. She knew that the use of the unforgivable curses on a human being were severely punished.

“Did you hear a scream earlier?” asked Harry

“Oui” said Fleur. “You don’t zink Krum got Diggory too?”

“Don’t know, maybe.” Said Harry slowly

“Should we leave ‘im ‘ere?” muttered Fleur

“No” said Harry “I reckon we should send up red sparks. Someone’ll come and collect him… otherwise he’ll probably be eaten by a skrewt”

“Zat wouldn’t be too bad” Fleur muttered, but all the same, she raised her wand and shot a shower of red sparks into the air, which hovered high above Krum, marking the spot where he lay.

Harry and Fleur stood there in the darkness for a moment, looking around them. Then Harry said. “Well… I s’pose we’d better go on…”

“What?” said Fleur, still shaking a little “Oh… oui… right.”

The two of them proceeded up the dark path without speaking, then Harry turned left and Fleur right. Harry’s footsteps soon died away. Fleur moved on, continuing to use the Four Point Spell, making sure she was moving in the right direction. It was between her and Harry now. Her desire to reach the cup first was now burning within her, but she could hardly believe what she had just gone through. Was the Triwizard Cup really that important to Krum? Or maybe it was about her Chosen… Fleur herself sure would do almost anything to be with Hermione… and Krum hadn’t liked it when he learned that they were together, that night when they found Crouch.

Fleur sped up, wanting more than reaching the Cup, end this Tournament and be in the arms of her Chosen. After a few more turns she saw light ahead.

The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards away, so she dashed for it.

“Fleur!” she heard Harry screamed at her, a few steps behind her. “On your left!”

Fleur looked around just in time to hurl himself past something over a hedge, and avoid colliding with it, but in her haste, she tripped. Her wand flew out of her hand as a gigantic spider stepped into the path and began to bear down upon her.

“Stupefy!” Harry yelled; the spell hit the spider’s gigantic, hairy black body, but for all the good it did, he might as well have thrown a stone at it, the spider jerked and rat at Harry instead.

“Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!” yelled Harry, but there was no use, the spider was either so large or so magical that the spells were doing no more than aggravating it.

Fleur saw Harry being lifted into the air in the front legs of the spider and while he struggled madly to try and get free, she dashed for her wand and began casting curses at the spider, but they were of no use too.

Then Harry used the Disarming Spell on the spider and he fell twelve feet onto his leg, which crumpled beneath him.

Without pausing to think, Fleur aimed for the spider’s underbelly, just as she had done with the Skrewt and shouted “Stupefy!” just as Harry yelled the same thing.

The two spells combined did what one alone had not, the spider keeled over sideways, flattening a nearby hedge, and strewing the path with a tangle of hairy legs.

“‘arry!” she shouted “You all right? Did it fall on you?”

“No” Harry called back panting. He looked down at his leg, it was bleeding freely, and Fleur noticed that.

Harry tried to get up, but his leg was shaking badly and did not want to support his weight. He leaned against the hedge, gasping for breath, and looked around.

Fleur was standing a couple of feet from the Triwizard Cup, which was gleaming behind her, and yet she was worrying over Harry being alright, trying to help him stay standing.

“Take it, then” Harry panted to Fleur “Go on, take it. You’re there”

But Fleur didn’t move. She merely stood there, looking at Harry. She turned to stare at the cup, then she looked around at Harry again, was now holding onto the hedge for support. Fleur took a deep breath.

“You take it. You should win. Zat’s twice you’ve saved my neck in ‘ere.”

“That’s not how it’s supposed to work,” Harry said looking annoyed. “The one who reaches the cup first gets the points. That’s you. I’m telling you, I’m not going to win any races on this leg.” He said pointing down.

Fleur shook her head. “Non” she acknowledged

“Stop being noble” said Harry irritably “Just take it, then we can get out of here”

Fleur watched Harry steadying herself, holding tight to the hedge and trying to put some distance between them.

“You deserve it ‘Arry” she said flatly

“No. You should’ve got more points on the second task,” said Harry mulishly “You stayed behind to get all the hostages. I should’ve done that, there were down there three people I cared about. Only two that you cared for, and still you stayed for someone you don’t even get along with”

“I was ze only one zat was zick enough to take zat song seriously!” said Fleur bitterly “You take ze cup!”

“No” said Harry

“I’ll ‘elp you zere” said Fleur when she realized Harry was finally trying to walk. “Besides, I do not need ze cup to be on the news. We’re going to ‘ave a party anyway.”

“Yeah? I don’t need it either. I’m the boy who lived. Remember?” said Harry stubbornly

“Look. I don’t want it. My Chosen would berate down on me if she knows zat I left you ‘urting only to get ze cup” she said sincerely. “You are ‘er best friend.”

Harry looked from Fleur to the Cup, then back at Fleur’s stubborn face.

“Both of us,” Harry said

“What?”

“We’ll take it at the same time. It’s still Hermione’s victory. We’ll tie for it.”

Fleur stared at Harry. “You… you sure?”

“Yeah” said Harry. “Yeah… we’ve helped each other out, haven’t we? We both got here. Let’s just take it together.”

For a moment Fleur looked as though she couldn’t believe her ears, then her face split in a grin.

“You’re on” she said. “Now, will you let me ‘elp you out?” She grabbed Harry’s arm below the shoulder and helped Harry limp toward the plinth where the cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held a had out over one of the cup’s gleaming handles.

“On three, right?” said Harry “One… two… three…”

He and Fleur both grasped the handle.

Instantly Fleur felt a jerk somewhere behind her navel. Her feet had left the ground. She could not unclenched the hand holding the Triwizard Cup, it pas pulling her onward in a howl of wind and swirling color. Harry at her side.


	20. Graveyard

**_Chapter 20_ **

**_Graveyard_ **

Fleur felt her feet slam into the ground, she lost balance while still holding Harry up and both felt forward, her hand let go of the Triwizard Cup as she stood up.

“Where are we?” asked Harry

Fleur shook her head, looked down and pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around.

They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously traveled miles, perhaps more, for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. They could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside.

Fleur looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Hary.

“Did anyone tell you ze cum was a Portkey?” she asked

“Nope” said Harry. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. “Is this supposed to be part of the task?”

“I do not know,” said Fleur. She sounded slightly nervous. “Wands out, oui?”

“Yeah” said Harry, glad that Fleur had made the suggestion.

They pulled out their wands. Fleur kept looking around her and noticed Harry was getting anxious.

“Someone’s coming” said Harry suddenly

Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched a figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Fleur couldn’t make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, she could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time, Fleur and Harry saw that the thing in this person’s arms looked like a baby, or at least like a bundle of robes.

Fleur lowered her wand slightly and glanced sideways to Harry. Harry shot her a quizzical look. They both turned back to watch the approaching figure.

It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second, Fleur and Harry and the short figure simply looked to one another.

And then, without warning, Fleur noticed that Harry was in pain and that he had dropped his wand as he put his hands over his face. His knees buckled, he was on the ground and he could see nothing at all.

From far away, above them, Fleur heard a high, cold voice say “Kill the spare”

She looked up in time to see the figure raise his wand and point her while conjuring the killing curse. She knew there was no shield that would safe her from that, so she did the only thing that came to mind, she ran to her left, trying to get to the nearest tombstone and left Harry lying in pain on the floor.

A blast of green light blazed through her eyelids and she threw herself to the ground. It took her a few seconds to realizing that she had made it. She was safely behind a tombstone and the man in the cloak apparently didn’t know he had missed. For a second that contained an eternity, she caught Harry’s eyes and saw relief in them. And then, before their minds had time to take in what was happening, the short man in the cloak pulled Harry to his feet.

The man had put down his bundle, lit his wand, and was dragging Harry toward the marble Headstone. Fleur couldn’t see the name upon it, but by the look of disbelief in Harry’s eyes, she guessed it was someone he knew.

The cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. He struggled and the man hit him.

“You!” gasped Harry, which confirmed Fleur’s theory that he knew what was going on.

But the man did not reply, he was busy checking the tightness of the cords, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, fumbling over the knots. Once he made sure that Harry was bound so tightly to the headstone that he couldn’t move an inch, the man drew a length of some black material from the inside of his cloak and stuffed it roughly into Harry’s mouth, then without a word, he turned from Harry and hurried away.

When Fleur could no longer see the man, she decided to dash for their lost wands, she had just picked up her own when she saw that the bundle of robes seemed to be stirring fretfully. Harry watched that too and his eyes showed now fear, which only managed to worry Fleur. ‘ _Why would he be afraid of a baby?_ ’ she thought to herself. She could hear noises at her feet. She looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling her. Before she could actually do anything, the snake was around her body, keeping her firmly now laid on the ground where she had stood. She couldn’t move and inch, nor could she make a noise since the snake had covered her neck and mouth. She could barely breath.

Then the man who had carried the bundle of robes, came back within her range of vision, and Fleur saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave where Harry was tied.

The thing inside the bundle of robes on the ground was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself. Now the man was busying himself at the bottom of the cauldron with a wand, still not able to see Fleur and the snake.

“Wormtail, Nagini says you missed.” said the high cold voice again. “But we’ll take care of it” The man working on the cauldron looked fearful “Hurry”

Fleur remembered that name, Wormtail, her Chosen had told her all about him when she had met Snuffles at the Shrieking Shack, which could only mean that the cold voice belonged to He-who-must-not-be-named and that was why Harry looked horrified. She tried to move then, but the snake just tighten the grip on her.

“It is ready, Master”

“Now…” said the cold voice

Wormtail pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and both, Harry and Fleur, let out a yell that was strangled in the material blocking their mouths.

The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except it didn’t look like one. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, redish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.

The thing seemed almost helpless, it raised its thing arms, put them around Wormtail’s neck, and Wormtail lifted it. As he did s, his hood fell back, and Fleur saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail’s weak, pale face in the firelight. Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron, there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface.

Wormtail was speaking, his voice shook, he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and spoke to the night.

“Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!”

The surface of the grave at Harry’s feet cracked. Horrified, Harry and Fleur watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail’s command and fell softly into the cauldron.

Now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs.

“Flesh… of the servant… wi…willingly given… you will… revive… your master.”

He stretched his right hand out in front of him. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward, and at full force swung it down to his hand. With a loud scream of pain, he reached for it and then put it into the cauldron.

Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony when he approached Harry.

“B-blood of the enemy… forcibly taken… you will… resurrect your foe.”

Harry squint down, struggling hopelessly at the ropes binding him, Fleur knew that Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was tied too tightly… and there was nothing she could do either, she could only hope it was as fast as possible.

Less than a minute later, Fleur watched Wormtail stag back to the cauldron and pour the contents of a vial inside it. Fleur realized it was Harry’s blood and was at least relieved that he was not dead.

Wormtail, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing. That’s when he caught a glimpse of Fleur.

Then a surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron, obliterating everything around them. Fleur could no longer see the gravestones, Harry, Wormtail or anything but the vapor hanging in the air.

Both Harry and Fleur were praying for the same thing. “ _let it have gone wrong_ ” But then, through the mist in front of them, they saw the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron.

“Robe me” said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them one-handed, over his master’s head.

The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry… Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake with slits for nostrils… Lord Voldemort had risen again.

Voldemort looked away from Harry and began examining his won body. His hands were like large, pale spiders, his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face; his red yes gleamed still more brightly through the darkness. He held up his hands and flexed the fingers, his expression rapt and exultant. He took not the slightest notice of Wormtail, who lay twitching and bleeding on the ground, nor of the great snake, which was still holding Fleur.

Voldemort slipped one of those unnaturally long-fingered hands into a deep pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently too, and then he raised it, and pointed it at Wormtail, who was lifted of the ground and thrown against the headstone where Harry was tied; he fell to the foot of it and lay there, crumpled up and crying. Voldemort turned his scarlet eyes upon Fleur, laughing a high, cold, mirthless laugh; he pointed the wand at her as the snake slithered away.

Fleur closed her eyes, expecting the worst, but she felt her body be lifted and crashed into the headstone where Harry was. She fell to the ground at Wormtail’s left side, but she could not move.

“My lord…” choked Wormtail “My Lord… you promised… you did promise…”

“Hold out your arm” said Voldemort lazily

“Oh Master… thank you, Master…” he extended the bleeding stump, but Voldemort laughed again.

“The other arm, Wormtail”

“Master, please… please…”

Voldemort bent down and pulled out Wormtail’s left arm, he forced the sleeve of Wormtail’s robes up past his elbow, and Fleur and Harry saw something upon the sking there, something like a vivid red tattoo… a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth, the Dark Mark. Voldemort examined it carefully, inoring Wormtail’s uncontrollable weeping.

“It is back,” he said softly. “they will all have noticed it… and now, we shall see… now we shall know…” He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Wormtail’s arm.

Wormtail let out a fresh howl; Voldemort removed his fingers from Wormtail’s mark, and Fleur saw that it had turned jet black.

A look of cruel satisfaction on his face, Voldemort straightened up, threw back his head, and stared around at the dark graveyard.

“How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?” he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars “And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?”

He began to pace up and down before Harry, Fleur and Wormtail, eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looked down at Fleur, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face.

“You stand, veela, upon the remains of my late father;” he hissed softly “A muggle, and a fool… very like your dear Chosen” this took Fleur and Harry by surprised. “Oh, don’t look at me like that” said Voldemort sneering “I have my sources… any way, your muggle mother Harry” he said looking up at him “like my father, had his uses… she died to defend you as a child… and I killed my father, and se how useful he was proved himself, in death…” he looked down at Fleur again “I’ll find a use to your muggle…”

Voldemort laughed again. Up and down he paced, looking all around him as he walked. He did not realized Fleur was fuming, and that her eyes had turned yellow.

“You see that house upon the hillside? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was… he didn’t like magic, my father… he left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born. My mother died giving birth to me, leaving me to the raised in a Muggle orphanage… but I vowed to find him… I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave his name… Tom Riddle”

He paced, his red eyes darting from the graveyard, then he looked at Fleur and smirked at her.

“Crucio!” he conjured on her.

Fleur could not contain her screams. Fleur was once again jerking and twitching, but she could not move much, the binding still strong on her.

“Listen to me!” said Voldemort rising his voice

Fleur was hurting worse than ever. She thought that being Crucioed by Krum was quite painful, but what Krum did was ticklish compared to this agonizing pain. She could not move. Suddenly, she began to see red every time she managed to open her eyes, but it was more painful to keep them open that to shot them down.

“I’m reliving family history…” said Voldemort “Show some respect!” he said “But look! My true family returns…”

The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward… slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes.

Fleur’s screams of pain, still echoing the graveyard, but Harry noticed that they were getting weaker and that now her yes, nose and ears were bleeding.

Voldemort stood in silence, his wand still pointing at Fleur who was still twitching and moaning in pain.

Then, one the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort, and hissed the hem of his black robes.

“Master… Master…” he murmured.

The Death Eaters behind him did the same, each of them approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Tom Riddle’s grave, harry, Voldemor, the sobbing Wormtail and the unmoving Fleur.

Voldemort lifted the curse on Fleur the moment he realized that she was no longer screaming, moaning nor moving.

“ _I am deeply sorry Mon Ange_ ” was the last thing Fleur could think of before darkness took over her.


	21. Death Eaters

**_Chapter 21_ **

**_The Death Eaters_ **

The Death Eaters left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people. Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered.

“Welcome, Death Eaters,” said Voldemort quietly. “Thirteen years… thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday, we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?”

He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening.

“I smell guilt,” he said. “There is a stench or guilt upon the air.”

A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare to step back from him.

“I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such prompt appearances! And I ask myself… why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?”

No one spoke. No one moved except Wormtail, who was upon the ground, still sobbing over his bleeding arm.

“And I answer myself,” whispered Voldemort, “they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment… And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living? … And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort… perhaps they now pay allegiance to another… perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?”

At the mention of Dumbledore’s name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads. Voldemort ignored them.

“It is a disappointment to me… I confess myself disappointed…”

One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort’s feet.

“Master!” he shrieked, “Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!”

Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand.

“Crucio!”

The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; Harry was sure the sound must carry to the houses around… ‘ _Let the police come,_ ’ he thought desperately… ‘ _anyone… anything…_ ’

Voldemort raised his wand. The tortured Death Eater lay flat upon the ground, gasping.

“Get up, Avery,” said Voldemort softly. “Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years… I want thirteen years’ repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail here has paid some of his debt already, have you not, Wormtail?”

He looked down at Wormtail, who continued to sob.

“You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, Master,” moaned Wormtail, “please. Master… please…”

“Yet you helped return me to my body,” said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. “Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me… and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers…”

Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand’s wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtails bleeding wrist.

Wormtail’s sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he was wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder.

“My Lord,” he whispered. “Master… it is beautiful… thank you… thank you…”

He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort’s robes.

“May your loyalty never waver again, Wormtail,” said Voldemort.

“No, my Lord… never, my Lord…” Wormtail stood up and took his place in the circle, staring at his powerful new hand, his face still shining with tears. Voldemort now approached the man on Wormtail’s right.

“Lucius, my slippery friend,” he whispered, halting before him. “I am told that you have not renounced the old ways, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius… Your exploits at the Quidditch World Cup were fun, I daresay… but might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?”

“My Lord, I was constantly on the alert,” came Lucius Malfoy’s voice swiftly from beneath the hood. “Had there been any sign from you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me…”

“And yet you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky last summer?” said Voldemort lazily, and Mr. Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. “Yes, I know all about that, Lucius… You have disappointed me… I expect more faithful service in the future.”

“Of course, my Lord, of course… You are merciful, thank you…”

Voldemort moved on, and stopped, staring at the space, large enough for two people, that separated Malfoy and the next man.

“The Lestranges should stand here,” said Voldemort quietly. “But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me… When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us… they are our natural allies… we will recall the banished giants… I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear…”

He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them.

“Macnair… destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, Wormtail tells me? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide…”

“Thank you, Master… thank you,” murmured Macnair.

“And here” Voldemort moved on to the two largest hooded figures “we have Crabbe… you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?”

They bowed clumsily, muttering dully.

“Yes, Master…”

“We will, Master…”

“The same goes for you, Nott,” said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyles shadow.

“My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful…”

“That will do,” said Voldemort.

He had reached the largest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his blank, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there.

“And here we have six missing Death Eaters… three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return… he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever… he will be killed, of course… and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service.”

The Death Eaters stirred, and Harry saw their eyes dart sideways at one another through their masks.

“He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight… Yes,” said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth as the eyes of the circle flashed in Harry’s direction. “Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honor.”

There was a silence. Then the Death Eater to the right of Wormtail stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy’s voice spoke from under the mask.

“Master, we crave to know… we beg you to tell us… how you have achieved this… this miracle… how you managed to return to us…”

“Ah, what a story it is, Lucius,” said Voldemort. “And it begins, and ends, with my young friend here.”

He walked lazily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. Nagini continued to circle Harry’s feet and Fleur’s blooded body.

“You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?” Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. “You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him, and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen… I could not touch the boy.” Voldemort raised one of his long white fingers and put it very close to Harry’s cheek. “His mother left upon him the traces other sacrifice… This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it… but no matter. I can touch him now.”

Harry felt the cold tip of the long white finger touch him, and thought his head would burst with the pain. Voldemort laughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued addressing the Death Eaters.

“I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman’s foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah… pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost… but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know… I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal, to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked… for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself… for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand…

“I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist… I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited… Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me… one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body… but I waited in vain…”

The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing.

“Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me. I sometimes inhabited animals; snakes, of course, being my preference, but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic… and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of them lasted long…

“Then… four years ago… the means for my return seemed assured. A wizard, young, foolish, and gullible, wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of… for he was a teacher at Dumbledore’s school… he was easy to bend to my will… he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted… thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter…”

Silence once more; nothing was stirring, not even the leaves on the yew tree. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry.

“The servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been,” Voldemort continued. “I returned to my hiding place far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn’t then fear that I might never regain my powers… Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour… I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess… and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me…”

One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice.

“And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last… a servant returned to me. Wormtail here, who had faked his own death to escape justice, was driven out of hiding by those he had once counted friends, and decided to return to his master. He sought me in the country where it had long been rumored I was hiding… helped, of course, by the rats he met along the way. Wormtail has a curious affinity with rats, do you not, Wormtail? His filthy little friends told him there was a place, deep in an Albanian forest, that they avoided, where small animals like themselves had met their deaths by a dark shadow that possessed them…

“But his journey back to me was not smooth, was it, Wormtail? For, hungry one night, on the edge of the very forest where he had hoped to find me, he foolishly stopped at an inn for some food… and who should he meet there, but one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic.

“Now see the way that fate favors Lord Voldemort. This might have been the end of Wormtail, and of my last hope for regeneration. But Wormtail, displaying a presence of mind I would never have expected from him, convinced Bertha Jorkins to accompany him on a nighttime stroll. He overpowered her… he brought her to me. And Bertha Jorkins, who might have ruined all, proved instead to be a gift beyond my wildest dreams… for, with a little persuasion, she became a veritable mine of information.

“She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things… but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her.”

Voldemort smiled his terrible smile, his red eyes blank and pitiless.

“Wormtail’s body, of course, was ill adapted for possession, as all assumed him dead, and would attract far too much attention if noticed. However, he was the able-bodied servant I needed, and, poor wizard though he is, Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth… a spell or two of my own invention… a little help from my dear Nagini,” Voldemorts red eyes fell upon the continually circling snake, “a potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided… I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel. 

“There was no hope of stealing the Sorcerer’s Stone anymore, for I knew that Dumbledore would have seen to it that it was destroyed. But I was willing to embrace mortal life again, before chasing immortality. I set my sights lower… I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength. I knew that to achieve this I would need three powerful ingredients. Well, one of them was already at hand, was it not, Wormtail? Flesh given by a servant… My father’s bone, naturally, meant that we would have to come here, where he was buried. But the blood of a foe… Wormtail would have had me use any wizard, would you not, Wormtail? Any wizard who had hated me… as so many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potter’s blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago… for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too…

“But how to get at Harry Potter? For he has been better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy’s future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy’s protection as long as he is in his relatives’ care. Not even I can touch him there… Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup… I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his relatives and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him?

“Why… by using Bertha Jorkins’s information, of course. Use my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure that the boy’s name was entered into the Goblet of Fire. Use my Death Eater to ensure that the boy won the tournament - that he touched the Triwizard Cup first, the cup which my Death Eater had turned into a Portkey, which would bring him here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore’s help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is… the boy you all believed had been my downfall…”

Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand.

“Crucio!”

It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end… to black out… to die…

And then it was gone. He was hanging limply in the ropes binding him to the headstone of Voldemort’s father, looking up into those bright red eyes through a kind of mist. The night was ringing with the sound of the Death Eaters’ laughter.

“You see, I think, how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me,” said Voldemort. “But I want there to be no mistake in anybody’s mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger. Just a little longer, Nagini,” he whispered, and the snake glided away through the grass to where the Death Eaters stood watching. “Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand.”

Wormtail approached Harry, who scrambled to find his feet, to support his own weight before the ropes were untied. Wormtail raised his new silver hand, pulled out the wad of material gagging Harry, and then, with one swipe, cut through the bonds tying Harry to the gravestone.

There was a split second, perhaps, when Harry might have considered running for it, but his injured leg shook under him as he stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around him and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled.

Wormtail walked out of the circle to the place where Fleur’s body had lay tightened by Nagini, and returned with Harry’s wand, which he thrust roughly into Harry’s hand without looking at him. Then Wormtail resumed his place in the circle of watching Death Eaters.

“You have been taught how to duel Harry Potter?” said Voldemort softly, his red eyes glinting through the darkness.

At these words Harry remembered, as though from a former life, the dueling club at Hogwarts he had attended briefly two years ago… All he had learned there was the Disarming Spell, “Expelliarmus”… and what use would it be to deprive Voldemort of his wand, even if he could, when he was surrounded by Death Eaters, outnumbered by at least thirty to one? He had never learned anything that could possibly fit him for this. He knew he was facing the thing against which Moody had always warned… the unblockable killing curse, and Voldemort was right, his mother was not here to die for him this time… He was quite unprotected…

“We bow to each other. Harry,” said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry. “Come, the niceties must be observed… Dumbledore would like you to show manners… Bow to death, Harry…”

The Death Eaters were laughing again. Voldemort’s lipless mouth was smiling. Harry did not bow. He was not going to let Voldemort play with him before killing him… he was not going to give him that satisfaction…

“I said, bow,” Voldemort said, raising his wand, and Harry felt his spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand were bending him ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laughed harder than ever.

“Very good,” said Voldemort softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon Harry lifted too. “And now you face me, like a man… straight-backed and proud, the way your father died… And now - we duel.”

Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was… White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he was screaming more loudly than he’d ever screamed in his life… And then it stopped. Harry rolled over and scrambled to his feet; he was shaking as uncontrollably as Wormtail had done when his hand had been cut off; he staggered sideways into the wall of watching Death Eaters, and they pushed him away, back toward Voldemort.

“A little break,” said Voldemort, the slit-like nostrils dilating with excitement, “a little pause… That hurt, didn’t it Harry? You don’t want me to do that again, do you?”

Harry didn’t answer. He was going to die like Fleur, those pitiless red eyes were telling him so… he was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it… but he wasn’t going to play along. He wasn’t going to obey Voldemort… he wasn’t going to beg…

“I asked you whether you want me to do that again,” said Voldemort softly. “Answer me! Imperio”

And Harry felt the sensation that his mind had been wiped of all thought… Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though he were floating, dreaming…

‘ _Just answer no… say no… just answer no…_ ’

 _‘I will not’_ , said a stronger voice, in the back of his head, ‘ _I won’t answer…’_

_‘Just answer no…’_

_‘I won’t do it, I won’t say it…_ ’

‘ _Just answer no…_ ’

“I WON’T!”

And these words burst from Harry’s mouth; they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over him, back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse had left all over his body, back rushed the realization of where he was, and what he was facing…

“You won’t?” said Voldemort quietly, and the Death Eaters were not laughing now. “You won’t say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die… Perhaps another little dose of pain?”

Voldemort raised his wand, but this time Harry was ready; with the reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways onto the ground; he rolled behind the marble headstone of Voldemort s father, and he heard it crack as the curse missed him.

“We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry,” said Voldemort’s soft, cold voice, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed. “You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean that you would prefer me to finish it now, Harry? Come out, Harry… come out and play, then… it will be quick… it might even be painless… I would not know… I have never died…”

Harry crouched behind the headstone and knew the end had come. There was no hope… no help to be had. And as he heard Voldemort draw nearer still, he knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort s feet… he was going to die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible…

Before Voldemort could stick his snakelike face around the headstone. Harry stood up… he gripped his wand tightly in his hand, thrust it out in front of him, and threw himself around the headstone, facing Voldemort.

Voldemort was ready. As Harry shouted, “Expelliarmus!” Voldemort cried, “Avada Kedavra!”

A jet of green light issued from Voldemorts wand just as a jet of red light blasted from Harry’s, they met in midair, and suddenly Harry’s wand was vibrating as though an electric charge were surging through it; his hand seized up around it; he couldn’t have released it if he’d wanted to, and a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold. Harry, following the beam with his astonished gaze, saw that Voldemort’s long white fingers too were gripping a wand that was shaking and vibrating.

And then Harry felt his feet lift from the ground. He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. They glided away from the tombstone of Voldemort’s father and then came to rest on a patch of ground that was clear and free of graves… The Death Eaters were shouting; they were asking Voldemort for instructions; they were closing in, reforming the circle around Harry and Voldemort, the snake slithering at their heels, some of them drawing their wands.

The golden thread connecting Harry and Voldemort splintered; though the wands remained connected, a thousand more beams arced high over Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web, a cage of light, beyond which the Death Eaters circled like jackals, their cries strangely muffled now…

“Do nothing!” Voldemort shrieked to the Death Eaters, and Harry saw his red eyes wide with astonishment at what was happening, saw him fighting to break the thread of light still connecting his wand with Harry’s; Harry held onto his wand more tightly, with both hands, and the golden thread remained unbroken. “Do nothing unless I command you!” Voldemort shouted to the Death Eaters.

And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air… It was coming from every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort. It was a sound Harry recognized, though he had heard it only once before in his life: phoenix song.

It was the sound of hope to Harry… the most beautiful and welcome thing he had ever heard in his life… He felt as though the song were inside him instead of just around him… It was the sound he connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend were speaking in his ear…

‘ _Don’t break the connection._ ’

‘ _I know._ ’ Harry told the music, ‘ _I know I mustn’t…_ ’ but no sooner had he thought it, than the thing became much harder to do. His wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever… and now the beam between him and Voldemort changed too… it was as though large beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands. Harry felt his wand give a shudder under his hand as the light beads began to slide slowly and steadily his way… The direction of the beams movement was now toward him, from Voldemort, and he felt his wand shudder angrily…

As the closest bead of light moved nearer to Harrys wand tip, the wood beneath his fingers grew so hot he feared it would burst into flame. The closer that bead moved, the harder Harry’s wand vibrated; he was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers.

He concentrated every last particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, his ears full of phoenix song, his eyes furious, fixed… and slowly, very slowly, the beads quivered to a halt, and then, just as slowly, they began to move the other way… and it was Voldemort’s wand that was vibrating extra-hard now… Voldemort who looked astonished, and almost fearful…

One of the beads of light was quivering, inches from the tip of Voldemorts wand. Harry didn’t understand why he was doing it, didn’t know what it might achieve… but he now concentrated as he had never done in his life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort s wand… and slowly… very slowly… it moved along the golden thread… it trembled for a moment… and then it connected…

At once, Voldemorts wand began to emit echoing screams of pain… then, Voldemort’s red eyes widened with shock, a dense, smoky hand flew out of the tip of it and vanished… the ghost of the hand he had made Wormtail… more shouts of pain… and then something much larger began to blossom from Voldemorts wand tip, a great, grayish something, that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke… It was a head… now a chest and arms… the torso of an old man Harry had seen only in a dream.

And his ghost, or his shadow, or whatever it was, fell next to Harry, and surveyed him and Voldemort, and the golden web, and the connected wands, with mild surprise, leaning on his walking stick…

“He was a real wizard, then?” the old man said, his eyes on Voldemort. “Killed me, that one did… You fight him, boy…”

But already, yet another head was emerging… and this head, gray as a smoky statue, was a woman’s… Harry, both arms shaking now as he fought to keep his wand still, saw her drop to the ground and straighten up staring… The shadow of Bertha Jorkins surveyed the battle before her with wide eyes.

“Don’t let go, now!” she cried, and her voice echoed as though from very far away. “Don’t let him get you, Harry…Don’t let go!”

She and the other shadowy figure began to pace around the inner walls of the golden web, while the Death Eaters flitted around the outside of it… and Voldemort’s dead victims whispered as they circled the duelers, whispered words of encouragement to Harry, and hissed words Harry couldn’t hear to Voldemort. And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemort’s wand… and Harry knew when he saw it who it would be… he knew, as though he had expected it from the moment when the old man had appeared from the wand… knew, because the man appearing was the one he’d thought of more than any other tonight…

The smoky shadow of a tall man with untidy hair fell to the ground as Bertha had done, straightened up, and looked at him… and Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of his father.

“Your mother’s coming…” he said quietly. “She wants to see you… it will be all right… hold on…”

And she came… first her head, then her body… a young woman with long hair, the smoky, shadowy form of Lily Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort’s wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like her husband. She walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and she spoke in the same distant, echoing voice as the others, but quietly, so that Voldemort, his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, could not hear…

“When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments… but we will give you time… you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts… do you understand, Harry?”

“Yes,” Harry gasped, fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers.

“Harry…” whispered the figure his father, “take your friend back, will you? Take her back to her family…”

“I will,” said Harry, his face screwed up with the effort of holding the wand.

“Do it now,” whispered his mother’s voice, “be ready to run… do it now…”

“NOW!” Harry yelled; he didn’t think he could have held on for another moment anyway, he pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished, the phoenix song died - but the shadowy figures of Voldemort’s victims did not disappear, they were closing in upon Voldemort, shielding Harry from his gaze. 

And Harry ran as he had never run in his life, knocking two stunned Death Eaters aside as he passed; he zigzagged behind headstones, feeling their curses following him, hearing them hit the headstones, he was dodging curses and graves, pelting toward Fleur’s unconcius body, now knowing she was alive since her shadow had not come out from Voldemort’s wand; and no longer aware of the pain in his leg, his whole being concentrated on what he had to do. 

“Stun him!” he heard Voldemort scream.

Ten feet from Fleur, Harry dived behind a marble angel to avoid the jets of red light and saw the tip of its wing shatter as the spells hit it. Gripping his wand more tightly, he dashed out from behind the angel.

“Impedimenta!” he bellowed, pointing his wand wildly over his shoulder at the Death Eaters running at him.

From a muffled yell, he thought he had stopped at least one of them, but there was no time to stop and look; he jumped over the cup and dived as he heard more wand blasts behind him; more jets of light flew over his head as he fell, stretching out his hand to grab Fleur’s arm…

“Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!” shrieked Voldemort. Harry’s hand had closed on Fleur’s wrist; one tombstone stood between him and Voldemort, but Fleur was too heavy to carry, and the cup was out of reach.

Voldemort’s red eyes flamed in the darkness. Harry saw his mouth curl into a smile, saw him raise his wand.

“Accio!” Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the Triwizard Cup. It flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle.

He heard Voldemort’s scream of fury at the same moment that he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked, it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Fleur along with him… They were going back.


	22. Veritaserum

**_Chapter 22_ **

**_Veritaserum_ **

Harry felt himself slam flat into the ground; his face was pressed into grass; the smell of it filled his nostrils. He had closed his eyes while the Portkey transported them, and he kept them closed now. He did not move. All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of him; his head was swimming so badly he felt as though the ground beneath him were swaying like the deck of a ship. To hold himself steady, he tightened his hold on the two things he was still clutching: the smooth, cold handle of the Triwizard Cup and Fleur’s unconscious body. He felt as though he would slide away into the blackness gathering at the edges of his brain if he let go of either of them. Shock and exhaustion kept him on the ground, breathing in the smell of the grass, waiting… waiting for someone to do something… something to happen… and all the while, his scar burned dully on his forehead…

A torrent of sound deafened and confused him; there were voices everywhere, footsteps, screams… He remained where he was, his face screwed up against the noise, as though it were a nightmare that would pass…

Then a pair of hands seized him roughly and turned him over.

“Harry! Harry!”

He opened his eyes.

He was looking up at the starry sky, and Albus Dumbledore was crouched over him. The dark shadows of a crowd of people pressed in around them, pushing nearer; Harry felt the ground beneath his head reverberating with their footsteps.

He had come back to the edge of the maze. He could see the stands rising above him, the shapes of people moving in them, the stars above.

Harry let go of the cup, but he clutched Fleur to him even more tightly. He raised his free hand and seized Dumbledore’s wrist, while Dumbledore’s face swam in and out of focus.

“He’s back,” Harry whispered. “He’s back. Voldemort.”

“What’s going on? What’s happened?”

The face of Cornelius Fudge appeared upside down over Harry; it looked white, appalled.

“My God - Delacour!” it whispered. “Dumbledore – is she? Is she dead?”

The words were repeated, the shadowy figures pressing in on them gasped it to those around them… and then others shouted it - screeched it - into the night –

“She’s dead!” “She’s dead!” “Fleur Delacour! Dead!”

Then Harry could see brown curls in front of him, he tried to focus but could not, he refused to let go of Fleur, Hermione needed him to keep her safe.

“Harry, Miss Granger! let go of her,” he heard Fudge’s voice say, and he felt fingers trying to pry him from Fleur’s limp body, but Harry wouldn’t let her go. Then Dumbledore’s face, which was still blurred and misted, came closer.

“Harry, you can’t help her now. Let go.”

“I couldn’t leave her there, she is hurting!,” Harry muttered - it seemed important to explain this. “She would have wanted me to bring her back to Hermione and her family…” said Harry sobbing.

“That’s right. Harry… just let go now…”

Dumbledore bent down, and with extraordinary strength for a man so old and thin, raised Harry from the ground and set him on his feet. Harry swayed. His head was pounding. His injured leg would no longer support his weight. The crowd around them jostled, fighting to get closer, pressing darkly in on him

“What’s happened?” “What’s wrong with him?” “Fleur’s dead!”

“He’ll need to go to the hospital wing!” Fudge was saying loudly. “He’s ill, he is injured…”

“Professor Dumbledore,” Harry could hear Hermione near him, with a lump on her throat. “She’s alive, I know it, I can feel it, but she’s in a lot of pain…”

“I’ll take Harry, Dumbledore, I’ll take him…”

“No, I would prefer…”

“Dumbledore, Nikos Delacour’s running… he’s coming over… Don’t you think you should tell him…before he…?”

“Harry, stay here…”

Girls were screaming, sobbing hysterically… The scene flickered oddly before Harry’s eyes…

“It’s all right, son, I’ve got you… come on… hospital wing…”

“Dumbledore said stay,” said Harry thickly, the pounding in his scar making him feel as though he was about to throw up; his vision was blurring worse than ever.

“You need to lie down… Come on now…”

Someone larger and stronger than him was half pulling, half carrying him through the frightened crowd. Harry heard people gasping, screaming, and shouting as the man supporting him pushed a path through them, taking him back to the castle. Across the lawn, past the lake and the Durmstrang ship, Harry heard nothing but the heavy breathing of the man helping him walk.

“What happened Harry?” the man asked at last as he lifted Harry up the stone steps. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. It was Mad-Eye Moody.

“Cup was a Portkey,” said Harry as they crossed the entrance hall. “Took me and Fleur to a graveyard… and Voldemort was there… Lord Voldemort…”

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Up the marble stairs…

“The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?”

“Tortured Fleur… they tried to kill her…”

“And then?”

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Along the corridor…

“Made a potion… got his body back…”

“The Dark Lord got his body back? He’s returned?”

“And the Death Eaters came… and then we dueled…”

“You dueled with the Dark Lord?”

“Got away… my wand… did something funny… I saw my mum and dad… they came out of his wand…”

“In here Harry… in here, and sit down… You’ll be all right now… drink this…”

Harry heard a key scrape in a lock and felt a cup being pushed into his hands.

“Drink it… you’ll feel better… come on, now. Harry, I need to know exactly what happened…”

Moody helped tip the stuff down Harrys throat; he coughed, a peppery taste burning his throat.

Moody’s office came into sharper focus, and so did Moody himself… He looked as white as Fudge had looked, and both eyes were fixed unblinkingly upon Harry’s face.

“Voldemort’s back, Harry? You’re sure he’s back? How did he do it?”

“He took stuff from his father’s grave, and from Wormtail, and me,” said Harry.

His head felt clearer; his scar wasn’t hurting so badly; he could now see Moodys face distinctly, even though the office was dark. He could still hear screaming and shouting from the distant Quidditch field.

“What did the Dark Lord take from you?” said Moody.

“Blood,” said Harry, raising his arm. His sleeve was ripped where Wormtail’s dagger had torn it.

Moody let out his breath in a long, low hiss.

“And the Death Eaters? They returned?”

“Yes,” said Harry. “Loads of them…”

“How did he treat them?” Moody asked quietly. “Did he forgive them?”

But Harry had suddenly remembered. He should have told Dumbledore, he should have said it straightaway.

“There’s a Death Eater at Hogwarts! There’s a Death Eater here… they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I got through to the end…”

Harry tried to get up, but Moody pushed him back down.

“I know who the Death Eater is,” he said quietly.

“Karkaroff?” said Harry wildly. “Where is he? Have you got him? Is he locked up?”

“Karkaroff?” said Moody with an odd laugh. “Karkaroff fled tonight, when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them… but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has ways of tracking his enemies.”

“Karkaroff’s gone? He ran away? But then… he didn’t put my name in the goblet?”

“No,” said Moody slowly. “No, he didn’t. It was I who did that.”

Harry heard, but didn’t believe.

“No, you didn’t,” he said. “You didn’t do that… you can’t have done…”

“I assure you I did,” said Moody, and his magical eye swung around and fixed upon the door, and Harry knew he was making sure that there was no one outside it. At the same time, Moody drew out his wand and pointed it at Harry. “He forgave them, then?” he said. “The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?”

“What?” said Harry.

He was looking at the wand Moody was pointing at him. This was a bad joke, it had to be.

“I asked you,” said Moody quietly, “whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn’t even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky.”

“You fired… What are you talking about…?”

“I told you Harry… I told you. If there’s one thing I hate more than any other, it’s a Death Eater who walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them. I expected him to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry…” Moody’s face was suddenly lit with an insane smile. “Tell me he told them that I, I alone remained faithful… prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all… you”

“You didn’t… it… it can’t be you…”

“Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did. Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did. Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did”

Moody’s magical eye had now left the door. It was fixed upon Harry. His lopsided mouth leered more widely than ever.

“It hasn’t been easy, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion. I have had to use every ounce of cunning I possess, so that my hand would not be detectable in your success. Dumbledore would have been very suspicious if you had managed everything too easily. As long as you got into that maze, preferably with a decent head start… then, I knew, I would have a chance of getting rid of the other champions and leaving your way clear. But I also had to contend with your stupidity. The second task… that was when I was most afraid we would fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. I knew you hadn’t worked out the egg’s clue, so I had to give you another hint…”

“You didn’t,” Harry said hoarsely. “Cedric gave me the clue…”

“Who told Cedric to open it underwater? I did. I trusted that he would pass the information on to you. Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter. I was sure Cedric would want to repay you for telling him about the dragons, and so he did. But even then, Potter, even then you seemed likely to fail. I was watching all the time… all those hours in the library. Didn’t you realize that the book you needed was in your dormitory all along? I planted it there early on, I gave it to the Longbottom boy, don’t you remember? Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. It would have told you all you needed to know about gillyweed. I expected you to ask everyone and anyone you could for help. Longbottom would have told you in an instant. But you did not… you did not… You have a streak of pride and independence that might have ruined all. So what could I do? Feed you information from another innocent source. You told me at the Yule Ball a house-elf called Dobby had given you a Christmas present. I called the elf to the staffroom to collect some robes for cleaning. I staged a loud conversation with Professor McGonagall about the hostages who had been taken, and whether Potter would think to use gillyweed. And your little elf friend ran straight to Snape’s office and then hurried to find you…”

Moodys wand was still pointing directly at Harry’s heart. Over his shoulder, foggy shapes were moving in the Foe-Glass on the wall.

“You were so long in that lake, Potter, I thought you had drowned. But luckily, Dumbledore took your idiocy for nobility, and marked you high for it. I breathed again. You had an easier time of it than you should have in that maze tonight, of course,” said Moody. “I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse many obstacles out of your way. I Stunned Cedric Diggory as he passed. I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so that he would finish Delacour and leave your path to the cup clear.”

Harry stared at Moody. He just didn’t see how this could be… Dumbledore’s friend, the famous Auror… the one who had caught so many Death Eaters… It made no sense… no sense at all…

The foggy shapes in the Foe-Glass were sharpening, had become more distinct. Harry could see the outlines of three people over Moody’s shoulder, moving closer and closer. But Moody wasn’t watching them. His magical eye was upon Harry.

“The Dark Lord didn’t manage to kill you Potter, and he so wanted to,” whispered Moody. “Imagine how he will reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him…the thing he needed above all to regenerate… and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter… closer than a son…”

Moody’s normal eye was bulging, the magical eye fixed upon Harry. The door was barred, and Harry knew he would never reach his own wand in time…

“The Dark Lord and I,” said Moody, and he looked completely insane now, towering over Harry, leering down at him, “have much in common. Both of us, for instance, had very disappointing fathers… very disappointing indeed. Both of us suffered the indignity, Harry, of being named after those fathers. And both of us had the pleasure… the very great pleasure… of killing our fathers to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Order!”

“You’re mad,” Harry said. He couldn’t stop himself “you’re mad!”

“Mad, am I?” said Moody, his voice rising uncontrollably. “We’ll see! We’ll see who’s mad, now that the Dark Lord has returned, with me at his side! He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him, and now, I conquer you!”

Moody raised his wand, he opened his mouth; Harry plunged his own hand into his robes…

“Stupefy!” There was a blinding flash of red light, and with a great splintering and crashing, the door of Moody’s office was blasted apart. Moody was thrown backward onto the office floor. Harry, still staring at the place where Moody’s face had been, saw Albus Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall looking back at him out of the Foe-Glass. He looked around and saw the three of them standing in the doorway, Dumbledore in front, his wand outstretched.

At that moment, Harry fully understood for the first time why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. The look upon Dumbledore’s face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Mad-Eye Moody was more terrible than Harry could have ever imagined. There was no benign smile upon Dumbledore’s face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat.

He stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moodys unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Snape followed him, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room. Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry.

“Come along, Potter,” she whispered. The thin line of her mouth was twitching as though she was about to cry. “Come along… hospital wing…”

“No,” said Dumbledore sharply.

“Dumbledore, he ought to… look at him, he’s been through enough tonight…”

“He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand,” said Dumbledore curtly. “Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. He needs to know who has put him through the ordeal he has suffered tonight, and why”

“Moody,” Harry said. He was still in a state of complete disbelief. “How can it have been Moody?”

“This is not Alastor Moody,” said Dumbledore quietly. “You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would not have removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you, I knew, and I followed.”

Dumbledore bent down over Moody’s limp form and put a hand inside his robes. He pulled out Moody’s hip flask and a set of keys on a ring. Then he turned to Professors McGonagall and Snape.

“Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid’s house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here.”

If either Snape or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion. Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore walked over to the trunk with seven locks, fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spell-books. Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spell books had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneako-scopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak. Harry watched, astounded, as Dumbledore placed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys in their respective locks, reopening the trunk each time, and revealing different contents each time. Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid, and Harry let out a cry of amazement.

He was looking down into a kind of pit, an underground room, and lying on the floor some ten feet below, apparently fast asleep, thin and starved in appearance, was the real Mad-Eye Moody.

His wooden leg was gone, the socket that should have held the magical eye looked empty beneath its lid, and chunks of his grizzled hair were missing. Harry stared, thunderstruck, between the sleeping Moody in the trunk and the unconscious Moody lying on the floor of the office.

Dumbledore climbed into the trunk, lowered himself, and fell lightly onto the floor beside the sleeping Moody. He bent over him.

“Stunned, controlled by the Imperius Curse, very weak,” he said. “Of course, they would have needed to keep him alive. Harry, throw down the imposter’s cloak, he’s freezing. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he seems in no immediate danger.”

Harry did as he was told; Dumbledore covered Moody in the cloak, tucked it around him, and clambered out of the trunk again. Then he picked up the hip flask that stood upon the desk, unscrewed it, and turned it over. A thick glutinous liquid splattered onto the office floor.

“Polyjuice Potion, Harry,” said Dumbledore. “You see the simplicity of it, and the brilliance. For Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he’s well known for it. The imposter needed, of course, to keep the real Moody close by, so that he could continue making the potion. You see his hair…” Dumbledore looked down on the Moody in the trunk. “The imposter has been cutting it off all year, see where it is uneven? But I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done… on the hour… every hour… We shall see.”

Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Moody on the floor. Harry stared at him too. Minutes passed in silence… Then, before Harry’s very eyes, the face of the man on the floor began to change. The scars were disappearing, the skin was becoming smooth; the mangled nose became whole and started to shrink. The long mane of grizzled gray hair was withdrawing into the scalp and turning the color of straw. Suddenly, with a loud clunk, the wooden leg fell away as a normal leg regrew in its place; next moment, the magical eyeball had popped out of the man’s face as a real eye replaced it; it rolled away across the floor and continued to swivel in every direction.

Harry saw a man lying before him, pale-skinned, slightly freckled, with a mop of fair hair. He knew who he was. He had seen him in Dumbledore’s Pensieve, had watched him being led away from court by the dementors, trying to convince Mr. Crouch that he was innocent… but he was lined around the eyes now and looked much older…

There were hurried footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape had returned with Winky at his heels. Professor McGonagall was right behind them.

“Crouch!” Snape said, stopping dead in the doorway. “Barty Crouch!”

“Good heavens,” said Professor McGonagall, stopping dead and staring down at the man on the floor.

Filthy, disheveled, Winky peered around Snape’s legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek.

“Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?” She flung herself forward onto the young man’s chest. “You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master’s son!”

“He is simply Stunned, Winky,” said Dumbledore. “Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?”

Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid. Dumbledore got up, bent over the man on the floor, and pulled him into a sitting position against the wall beneath the Foe-Glass, in which the reflections of Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall were still glaring down upon them all. Winky remained on her knees, trembling, her hands over her face. Dumbledore forced the mans mouth open and

poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand at the man’s chest and said, “Ennervate.”

Crouch’s son opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore knelt before him, so that their faces were level.

“Can you hear me?” Dumbledore asked quietly.

The man’s eyelids flickered.

“Yes,” he muttered.

“I would like you to tell us,” said Dumbledore softly, “how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?”

Crouch took a deep, shuddering breath, then began to speak in a flat, expressionless voice.

“My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother’s hairs. She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other’s appearance.” Winky was shaking her head, trembling.

“Say no more. Master Barty, say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!”

But Crouch took another deep breath and continued in the same flat voice. 

“The dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors. My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me.” The man’s eyelids flickered.

“And what did your father do with you, when he had got you home?” said Dumbledore quietly.

“Staged my mother’s death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master… of returning to his service.”

“How did your father subdue you?” said Dumbledore.

“The Imperius Curse,” Moody said. “I was under my fathers control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats. Rewards for my good behavior.”

“Master Barty, Master Barty,” sobbed Winky through her hands. “You isn’t ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble…”

“Did anybody ever discover that you were still alive?” said Dumbledore softly. “Did anyone know except your father and the house-elf?”

“Yes,” said Crouch, his eyelids flickering again. “A witch in my father’s office. Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father s signature. He was not at home. Winky showed her inside and returned to the kitchen, to me. But Bertha Jorkins heard Winky talking to me. She came to investigate. She heard enough to guess who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. My father arrived home. She confronted him. He put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget what she’d found out. Too powerful. He said it damaged her memory permanently.”

“Why is she coming to nose into my masters private business?” sobbed Winky. “Why isn’t she leaving us be?”

“Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup,” said Dumbledore.

“Winky talked my father into it,” said Crouch, still in the same monotonous voice. “She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch. Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life of imprisonment. He agreed in the end. It was carefully planned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box, we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. Nobody would ever know. But Winky didn’t know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father’s Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boys pocket. I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn’t know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden.”

“Master Barty, you bad boy!” whispered Winky, tears trickling between her fingers.

“So you took the wand,” said Dumbledore, “and what did you do with it?”

“We went back to the tent,” said Crouch. “Then we heard them. We heard the Death Eaters. The ones who had never been to Azkaban. The ones who had never suffered for my master. They had turned their backs on him. They were not enslaved, as I was. They were free to seek him, but they did not. They were merely making sport of Muggles. The sound of their voices awoke me. My mind was clearer than it had been in years. I was angry. I had the wand. I wanted to attack them for their disloyalty to my master. My father had left the tent; he had gone to free the Muggles. Winky was afraid to see me so angry. She used her own brand of magic to bind me to her. She pulled me from the tent, pulled me into the forest, away from the Death Eaters. I tried to hold her back. I wanted to return to the campsite. I wanted to show those Death Eaters what loyalty to the Dark Lord meant, and to punish them for their lack of it. I used the stolen wand to cast the Dark Mark into the sky. Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came through the trees where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned. When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He waited until the other Ministry members had left the forest. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. He dismissed Winky. She had failed him. She had let me acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape.”

Winky let out a wail of despair.

“Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house. And then… and then…” Crouch’s head rolled on his neck, and an insane grin spread across his face. “My master came for me. He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm my father had placed upon her. She told him I had escaped from Azkaban. She told him my father kept me imprisoned to prevent me from seeking my master. And so my master knew that I was still his faithful servant - perhaps the most faithful of all. My master conceived a plan, based upon the information Bertha had given him. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door.”

The smile spread wider over Crouch’s face, as though recalling the sweetest memory of his life. Winky’s petrified brown eyes were visible through her fingers. She seemed too appalled to speak.

“It was very quick. My father was placed under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now my father was the one imprisoned, controlled. My master forced him to go about his business as usual, to act as though nothing was wrong. And I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn’t been in years.”

“And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?” said Dumbledore.

“He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant who would guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament without appearing to do so. A servant who would watch over Harry Potter. Ensure he reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But first…”

“You needed Alastor Moody,” said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm.

“Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We journeyed to his house. Moody put up a struggle. There was a commotion. We managed to subdue him just in time. Forced him into a compartment of his own magical trunk. Took some of his hair and added it to the potion. I drank it; I became Moody’s double. I took his leg and his eye. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. I made the dustbins move around the yard. I told Arthur Weasley I had heard intruders in my yard, who had set off the dustbins. Then I packed up Moody’s clothes and Dark detectors, put them in the trunk with Moody, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Dumbledore. I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole boom-slang skin from the dungeons. When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was under orders to search it.”

“And what became of Wormtail after you attacked Moody?” said Dumbledore.

“Wormtail returned to care for my master, in my father’s house, and to keep watch over my father.”

“But your father escaped,” said Dumbledore.

“Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Wormtail neglected his duty. He was not watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban. My master sent me word of my father’s escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything.”

“Map?” said Dumbledore quickly. “What map is this?”

“Potter’s map of Hogwarts. Potter saw me on it. Potter saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape’s office one night. He thought I was my father. We have the same first name. I took the map from Potter that night. I told him my father hated Dark wizards. Potter believed my father was after Snape. For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, and Krum and Delacour. I waited. I could not hurt Potter; my master needed him. Krum left. Then Potter ran to get Dumbledore. I Stunned Delacour. I killed my father.”

“Noooo!” wailed Winky. “Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you saying?”

“You killed your father,” Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. “What did you do with the body?”

“Carried it into the forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come. Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father’s body. Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father’s body. He became a bone… I buried it, while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid’s cabin.”

There was complete silence now, except for Winky’s continued sobs. Then Dumbledore said, “And tonight…”

“I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner,” whispered Barty Crouch. Turned it into a Portkey. My master’s plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards.”

The insane smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder as Winky wailed and sobbed at his side.

Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face. Then he raised his wand once more and ropes flew out of it, ropes that twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly. He turned to Professor McGonagall.

“Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry upstairs?”

“Of course,” said Professor McGonagall. She looked slightly nauseous, as though she had just watched someone being sick. However, when she drew out her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch, her hand was quite steady.

“Severus” Dumbledore turned to Snape “please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour’s time if he needs me.”

Snape nodded silently and swept out of the room.

“Harry?” Dumbledore said gently.

Harry got up and swayed again; the pain in his leg, which he had not noticed all the time he had been listening to Crouch, now returned in full measure. He also realized that he was shaking. Dumbledore gripped his arm and helped him out into the dark corridor.

“I want you to come up to my office first. Harry,” he said quietly as they headed up the passageway. “Sirius is waiting for us there.”

Harry nodded. A kind of numbness and a sense of complete unreality were upon him, but he did not care; he was even glad of it. He didn’t want to have to think about anything that had happened since he had first touched the Triwizard Cup. He didn’t want to have to examine the memories, fresh and sharp as photographs, which kept flashing across his mind. Mad-Eye Moody, inside the trunk. Wormtail, slumped on the ground, cradling his stump of an arm. Voldemort, rising from the steaming cauldron. Fleur being crucioed… Fleur, calling out for Hermione…

“Professor,” Harry mumbled, “where are Hermione and the Delacours?”

“They are with Madame Maxime at the infirmary,” said Dumbledore. His voice, which had been so calm throughout the interrogation of Barty Crouch, shook very slightly for the first time. “Miss Granger’s parents are with the Weasleys…”


	23. Denial

**_Chapter 23_ **

**_Denial_ **

They had reached the stone gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password, it sprang aside, and he and Harry went up the moving spiral staircase to the oak door.

Dumbledore pushed it open. Sirius was standing there. His face was white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift moment, he had crossed the room.

“Harry, are you all right? I knew it - I knew something like this - what happened?” His hands shook as he helped Harry into a chair in front of the desk. “What happened?” he asked more urgently.

Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything Barty Crouch had said. Harry was only half listening. So tired every bone in his body was aching, he wanted nothing more than to sit here, undisturbed, for hours and hours, until he fell asleep and didn’t have to think or feel anymore.

There was a soft rush of wings. Fawkes the phoenix had left his perch, flown across the office, and landed on Harry’s knee.

“‘Lo, Fawkes,” said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix’s beautiful scarlet-and gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him. There was something comforting about his warm weight.

Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes. Dumbledore was going to question him. He was going to make Harry relive everything.

“I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze Harry,” said Dumbledore.

“We can leave that till morning, can’t we, Dumbledore?” said Sirius harshly. He had put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Let him have a sleep. Let him rest.”

Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Sirius, but Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius’s words. He leaned forward toward Harry.

Very unwillingly, Harry raised his head and looked into those blue eyes.

“If I thought I could help you,” Dumbledore said gently, “by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened.”

The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and Harry felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down his throat into his stomach, warming him, and strengthening him.

He took a deep breath “Professor, is it possible to have Hermione and the Delacours present while we go through this?” Harry asked hopefully, wishing this would buy him at least a little time.

“I do not believe Harry, it is wise” said Dumbledore through a calmed voice.

Harry’s blood boiled at that, he had to make sure that Hermione knew how much Fleur loved her, how much she went through, and how brave she had been through all this, braver than him.

“They need to know, SHE needs to know!” said Harry through clenched teeth, “If I have to retell what happened, at least it should count. FLEUR WAS CALLING FOR HERMIONE TRHOUGH THE CRUCIO!” Harry took a deep breath “She… she needs to know what happened” said Harry on a lower voice.

Dumbledore decided to comply with Harry’s request, after seeing that he would not tell him a thing unless he abide to it, so he sent for Hermione and Mr. Delacour.

After a few minutes of waiting in complete silence, the gargoyle opened and through the doors came a red eyed Hermione and a sad looking Nikos Delacour.

“Harry, are you alright?” asked Hermione approaching to him.

“I’m sorry!” said Harry sobbing and throwing his arms around Hermione. “I’m so sorry! I should have done more!”

Hermione encircled Harry on a tight embrace, trying to reassure them both. Both friends crying on each other’s arms for a few minutes. After a while, Hermione took a step back and looked Harry in the eye.

“Can you tell us exactly what happened?”

Harry nodded, took a deep breath and began to tell them. As he spoke, visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to rise before his eyes; he saw the sparkling surface of the potion that had revived Voldemort; he saw the Death Eaters Apparating between the graves around them; he saw Fleur’s body, lying on the ground beside the cup.

Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand now tight on Harry’s shoulder, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him, and Harry was glad of this, because it was easier to keep going now he had started. It was even a relief; he felt almost as though something poisonous were being extracted from him. It was costing him every bit of determination he had to keep talking, yet he sensed that once he had finished, he would feel better.

When Harry told of Wormtail piercing his arm with the dagger, however, Sirius and Hermione let out a vehement exclamation, and Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Harry started. Dumbledore walked around the desk and told Harry to stretch out his arm.

Harry showed them the place where his robes were torn and the cut beneath them. “He said my blood would make him stronger than if he’d used someone else’s,” Harry told Dumbledore. “He said the protection my - my mother left in me - he’d have it too. And he was right - he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face.”

For a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore’s eyes. But next second Harry was sure he had imagined it, for when Dumbledore had returned to his seat behind the desk, he looked as old and weary as Harry had ever seen him.

“Very well,” he said, sitting down again. “Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please.”

Harry went on; he explained how Voldemort had emerged from the cauldron, and how he had crucioed Fleur while waiting for his ‘family’, as he had put it, he also told them all he could remember of Voldemort’s speech to the Death Eaters. Then he told how Voldemort had untied him, returned his wand to him, and prepared to duel.

But when he reached the part where the golden beam of light had connected his and Voldemort’s wands, he found his throat obstructed. He tried to keep talking, but the memories of what had come out of Voldemort’s wand were flooding into his mind. He could see an old man emerging, Bertha Jorkins… his father… his mother…

He was glad when Hermione broke the silence.

“The wands connected?” he said, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. “Why?”

Harry looked up at Dumbledore again, on whose face there was an arrested look. “Priori Incantatem,” he muttered.

His eyes gazed into Harry’s and it was almost as though an invisible beam of understanding shot between them.

“The Reverse Spell effect?” said Sirius sharply.

“Exactly,” said Dumbledore. “Harry’s wand and Voldemort’s wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact,” he added, and he pointed at the scarlet-and-gold bird, perching peacefully on Harry’s knee.

“My wand’s feather came from Fawkes?” Harry said, amazed.

“Yes,” said Dumbledore. “Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago.”

“So what happens when a wand meets its brother?” asked Hermione.

“They will not work properly against each other,” said Dumbledore. “If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle… a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed - in reverse. The most recent first… and then those which preceded it…”

He looked interrogatively at Harry, and Harry nodded.

“Which means,” said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry’s face, “that some form of death person must have reappeared.”

Harry nodded again.

“They came back to life?” said Sirius sharply.

“No spell can reawaken the dead,” said Dumbledore heavily. “All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living people would have emerged from the wand… am I correct, Harry?”

“They spoke to me,” Harry said. He was suddenly shaking again. “Th… the ghosts, or whatever they were, spoke.”

“An echo,” said Dumbledore, “which retained your parent’s appearance and character. I am guessing other such forms appeared… less recent victims of Voldemort’s wand…”

“An old man,” Harry said, his throat still constricted. “Bertha Jorkins. And…”

“Your parents?” said Dumbledore quietly.

“Yes,” said Harry.

Sirius’s grip on Harry’s shoulder was now so tight it was painful.

“The last murders the wand performed,” said Dumbledore, nodding. “In reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had you maintained the connection. Very well, Harry, these echoes, these shadows… what did they do?”

Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry’s mother had told him what to do.

At this point Harry found he could not continue. He looked around at Sirius and saw that he had his face in his hands.

Harry suddenly became aware that Fawkes had left his knee. The phoenix had fluttered to the floor. It was resting its beautiful head against Harry’s injured leg, and thick, pearly tears were falling from its eyes onto the wound left by the spider. The pain vanished. The skin mended. His leg was repaired.

Hermione gasped. “How could I’ve forgotten? Proffessor Dumbledore, could Fawkes help us heal, at least physically Fleur?” She asked hopefully, with tear streaked face.

Fawkes squealed and nip Hermione’s finger. “I believe Miss Granger, that Fawkes agrees to do it, but it will have to wait a little longer. However, bare in mind that we do not know in which condition her mind is at the moment, so it might not be enough.” Said Dumbledore.

“I know Professor” said Hermione with new tears rolling down her face. “But at least it gives us a chance to help her get better, I don’t know what would I do if she did not make it” Nikos Delacour put a hand on Hermione’s shoulder, knowing perfectly well that if his daughter died, Hermione would too.

“I will say it again,” said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. “You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard’s burden and found yourself equal to it - and you have now given us all we have a right to expect.” He paused for a moment, trying to decide the best way to proceed now. He rose and took a small empty vial out while he approached Fawkes, who nodded to him. After a few seconds, the vial contained three tear drops from the Pheonix. “We will go now to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace…” he said to both Harry and Hermione. “Sirius, would you like to stay with him?”

Sirius nodded and stood up. He transformed back into the great black dog and walked with Harry and the others out of the office, accompanying them down a flight of stairs to the hospital wing.

When Dumbledore pushed open the door Harry saw Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and the Grangers grouped around a harassed-looking Madam Pomfrey. They appeared to be demanding to know where Harry and Hermione were and what had happened to them. All of them whipped around as Harry, Dumbledore, the black dog, Hermione and Mr. Delacour entered, and Mrs. Weasley let out a kind of muffled scream.

“Harry! Oh Harry!” She started to hurry toward him, but Dumbledore moved between them.

“Molly,” he said, holding up a hand, “please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him,” he added, looking around at Ron, and Bill too, “you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded. She was very white. She rounded on Ron, and Bill as though they were being noisy, and hissed, “Did you hear? He needs quiet!”

Hermione hugged briefly her parents and continued to the far end of the infirmary, where her Chosen layed.

“Headmaster,” said Madam Pomfrey, staring at the great black dog that was Sirius, “may I ask what -?”

“This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while,” said Dumbledore simply. “I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry - I will wait while you get into bed.”

Harry felt an inexpressible sense of gratitude to Dumbledore for asking the others not to question him. It wasn’t as though he didn’t want them there; but the thought of explaining it all over again, the idea of reliving it one more time, was more than he could stand.

“I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry,” said Dumbledore. “I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school.” Then he turned to Poppy Pomfrey taking out the vial he had brought. “Poppy, this are tear drops from Fawkes, please make sure you use them on Miss Delacour” He then left.

As Madam Pomfrey led Harry to a bed next to Fleur’s, he caught sight of the real Moody lying motionless in a bed at the far end of the room. His wooden leg and magical eye were lying on the bedside table.

“Is he okay?” Harry asked.

“He’ll be fine,” said Madam Pomfrey, giving Harry some pajamas and pulling screens around him. He took off his robes, pulled on the pajamas, and got into bed. Ron, Bill, Mrs. Weasley, and the black dog came around the screen and settled themselves in chairs on either side of him. Ron and Bill were looking at him almost cautiously, as though scared of him.

“I’m all right,” he told them. “Just tired.”

Mrs. Weasleys eyes filled with tears as she smoothed his bed-covers unnecessarily.

Madam Pomfrey, who had bustled off to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet.

“You’ll need to drink all of this. Harry,” she said. “It’s a potion for dreamless sleep.”

Harry took the goblet and drank a few mouthfuls. He felt himself becoming drowsy at once. Everything around him became hazy; the lamps around the hospital wing seemed to be winking at him in a friendly way through the screen around his bed; his body felt as though it was sinking deeper into the warmth of the feather mattress. Before he could finish the potion, before he could say another word, his exhaustion had carried him off to sleep.

Madame Pomfrey then rushed to Fleur’s side. She dropped the phoenix tears on the veela’s blooded eyes and ears. They instantly healed, for which Hermione was grateful.

“We’ll have to wait until she wakes in order to assess her condition” said the mediwitch to the Delacours. “I’m sorry”

The Delacours and the Grangers left the Infirmary then. They needed to rest, and knew that Hermione would not leave Fleur’s side.

Poppy handed Hermione a dreamless potion, and then the young veela cuddled on the bed with Fleur, holding her on a tight embrace and speaking sweetly to her, trying to stay calm and not cry.

“You’re alright now love, everything’s going to be better and we’ll get married before we leave Hogwarts this year” Repeated Hermione as a mantra until she too fell asleep.

Fleur woke up, so warm, so very sleepy, that she didn’t open his eyes, wanting to drop off again. The room was still dimly lit; she was sure it was still night time and had a feeling that she couldn’t have possibly survived.

Then she heard whispering around her.

“They’ll wake him if they don’t shut up!”

“What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?”

Fleur opened her eyes blearily. Someone had was on top of her. She could see the fuzzy outlines of, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, her mother and her Chosen close by. She smiled realizing that she had survived and her Hermione was with her, nothing else mattered now.

“Zat’s Fudge’s voice,” whispered Apoline. “And zat’s Minerva McGonagall’s, isn’t it? But what are zey arguing about?”

Now Fleur could hear them too: people shouting and running toward the hospital wing.

“Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -” Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.

“You should never have brought it inside the castle!” yelled Professor McGonagall. “When Dumbledore finds out -”

Fleur heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around her bed, all of whom were staring at the door as Hermione pulled back the screens, Fleur sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels. However, Hermione was not able to pay attention to that, the only thing she could focus on was that Fleur was alive, awake and most of all, smiling back at her.

Hermione rushed to her Chosen and hold her on a tight embrace. “You alright!” she said excitedly not letting go.

“I am now Mon Ange” said Fleur hugging her back.

Hermione, still holding tight Fleur, could not help the urge she had to deliver kisses on every spot she could find. She paid close attention to Fleur’s eyes, which seemed still a little irritated.

“How is your vision?” whispered Hermione.

“A little blugry” confessed Fleur.

“I’ll go tell Madame Pomfrey” said Hermione taking a step back, but could not go far since Fleur had grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t Mon Ange, just, let me ‘old you for a little longer, I zought I ‘ad lost you” said Fleur, with tears on her eyes.

“For a moment there, I thought the same” said Hermione cuddling on the bed as she had done the night before. “I got your patronus” said Hermione on Fleur’s ear.

“You were meant to Mon Ange” said Fleur stiffing a yawn.

“Sleep my love” said Hermione “I’ll tell your parents and Madame Pomfrey that you are fine” said Hermione stroking Fleur’s back.

“Just, don’t leave me Mon Ange. Promise you’ll be ‘ere when I wake again” pleaded Fleur.

“Always my love” said Hermione. When she noticed that Fleur had gone back to sleep, she heard that there was still a discussion going on in the Infirmary, so she decided to pay a little attention to that.

“I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!” McGonagall fumed. “I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -”

“My dear woman!” roared Fudge “as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -”

But Professor McGonagall’s voice drowned Fudge’s.

“The moment that - that thing entered the room,” she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, “it swooped down on Crouch and - and -”

Hermione felt a chill in his stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. She did not need her to finish her sentence. She knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.

“By all accounts, he is no loss!” blustered Fudge. “It seems he has been responsible for several deaths’.”

“But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. “He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people.”

“Why he killed them? Well, that’s no mystery, is it?” blustered Fudge. “He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who’s instructions!”

“Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius,” Dumbledore said. “Those people’s deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body.”

Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn’t quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.

“You-Know-Who… returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore…”

“As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you,” said Dumbledore, “we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort - learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins - went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return.”

“See here, Dumbledore,” said Fudge, and Hermione was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, “you - you can’t seriously believe that You-Know-Who - back? Come now, come now… certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who’s orders - but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore…”

“When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort,” said Dumbledore steadily. “He witnessed Lord Voldemort’s rebirth. As well as Miss Delacour, who’s injuries were in fact produced as a result of being tortured by Voldemort. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office.”

Hermione held tighter to Fleur, she knew that she was asleep, but she wanted to make sure that nothing could harm her anymore.

Dumbledore glanced around at Harry’s and Fleur’s beds and saw that the boy and Hermione were awake, but shook his head and said, “I am afraid I cannot permit you to question them tonight.”

Fudge’s curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry, then to Fleur and Hermione, looked back at Dumbledore, and said, “You are - er - prepared to take Harry’s word on this, are you, Dumbledore?”

There was a moment’s silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.

“Certainly, I believe Harry,” said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. “I heard Crouch’s confession, and I heard Harry’s account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer.”

Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced at Harry before answering.

“You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who… well…”

Fudge shot Harry another look, and Harry suddenly understood.

“You’ve been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge,” he said quietly.

Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. None of them had realized that Harry was awake.

Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.

“And if I have?” he said, looking at Dumbledore. “If I have discovered that you’ve been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place -”

“I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?” said Dumbledore coolly.

“You admit that he has been having these pains, then?” said Fudge quickly. “Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly - hallucinations?”

“Listen to me, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, and once again, he seemed to radiate that indefinable sense of power that Harry had felt after Dumbledore had Stunned young Crouch. “Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous.”

Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn.

“You’ll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I’ve never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before…”

“Look, I saw Voldemort come back!” Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. “I saw him crucio my bestfriend’s girlfriend! I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -”

Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape’s eyes flew back to Fudge.

“Malfoy was cleared!” said Fudge, visibly affronted. “A very old family - donations to excellent causes -”

“Macnair!” Harry continued.

“Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!”

“Avery - Nott - Crabbe - Goyle -”

“You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!” said Fudge angrily. “You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven’s sake, Dumbledore - the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too - his tales are getting taller, and you’re still swallowing them - the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he’s trustworthy?”

“You fool!” Professor McGonagall cried. “Bertha Jorkins! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!”

“I see no evidence to the contrary!” shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. “It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!”

Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had always thought of Fudge as a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured. But now a short, angry wizard stood before him, refusing, point-blank, to accept the prospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world - to believe that Voldemort could have risen.

Hermione was getting angrier by the second, she was fuming and breathing hard. Professor Snape noticed this and approached the young veela.

“Take a deep breath and try and remain calm. I know the feeling, but remember that at the moment your priority is your Chosen” He said in a low voice.

Hermione looked him in the eyes, and she knew he was right, if she stood up, Fleur might be startled and then panicked by not seeing her there. Additionally, it would do no good if she started to yell at Fudge, he was acting like a scared boy and would not hear reason at all.

“Voldemort has returned,” Dumbledore repeated. “If you accept that fact straightaway Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -”

“Preposterous!” shouted Fudge again. “Remove the dementors? I’d be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!”

“The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort’s most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!” said Dumbledore. “They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!”

Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.

“The second step you must take - and at once,” Dumbledore pressed on, “is to send envoys to the giants.”

“Envoys to the giants?” Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. “What madness is this?”

“Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late,” said Dumbledore, “or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!”

“You - you cannot be serious!” Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. “If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants - people hate them, Dumbledore - end of my career -”

“You are blinded,” said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes blazing once more, “by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any - and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now- take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act - and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!”

“Insane,” whispered Fudge, still backing away. “Mad…”

And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Harry’s bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs.Weasley was still standing over Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, and Ron, were staring at Fudge. While Hermione and Snape were still staring at each other.

“If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore, “we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I - I shall act as I see fit.”

Dumbledore’s voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.

“Now, see here, Dumbledore,” he said, waving a threatening finger. “I’ve given you free rein, always. I’ve had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I’ve kept quiet. There aren’t many who’d have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you’re going to work against me -”

“The only one against whom I intend to work,” said Dumbledore, “is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side.”

It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, “He can’t be back, Dumbledore, he just can’t be…”

Snape looked apologetically to Hermione and strode back, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

“There,” said Snape harshly. “There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff s too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord’s vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold.”

Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape’s arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, “I don’t know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry.”

He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry’s bed.

“Your winnings,” he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry’s bedside table. He then turned to Hermione and presented her a bag too. “Miss Delacour’s winnings, since it was a tie. One thousand Galleons each. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances…”

He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Harry’s and Fleur’s beds.

“There is work to be done,” he said. “Molly… am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?”

“Of course you can,” said Mrs. Weasley. She was white to the lips, but she looked resolute. “We know what Fudge is. It’s Arthur’s fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride.”

“Then I need to send a message to Arthur,” said Dumbledore. “All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius.”

“I’ll go to Dad,” said Bill, standing up. “I’ll go now.”

“Excellent,” said Dumbledore. “Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -”

“Leave it to me,” said Bill. He clapped a hand on Harry’s shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.

“Minerva,” said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall, “I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also - if she will consent to come – Madame Maxime. As well as you and your husband, Madame Delacour”

“Of course Professor” said Apoline, going in search of her husband.

Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word.

“Poppy,” Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, “would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody’s office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us.”

“Very - very well,” said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, and she too left.

Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that Madam Pomfrey’s footsteps had died away, before he spoke again.

“And now,” he said, “it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius… if you could resume your usual form.”

The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.

Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed.

“Sirius Black!” she shrieked, pointing at him.

“Mum, shut up!” Ron yelled. “It’s okay!”

Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror.

“Him!” he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. “What is he doing here?”

“He is here at my invitation,” said Dumbledore, looking between them, “as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other.”

Harry thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle. Sirius and Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing.

“I will settle, in the short term,” said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, “for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us.”

Very slowly - but still glaring at each other as though each wished the othernothing but ill - Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly.

“That will do to be going on with,” said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. “Now I have work for each of you. Fudge’s attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin’s for a while; I will contact you there.”

“But -” said Harry. He wanted Sirius to stay. He did not want to have to say goodbye again so quickly.

“You’ll see me very soon. Harry,” said Sirius, turning to him. “I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” said Harry. “Yeah… of course I do.”

Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone.

“Severus,” said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, “you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready… if you are prepared…”

“I am,” said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.

“Then good luck,” said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.


	24. The beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is final chapter... so, one more time standard disclaimers from previous chapters, still apply. This mean: * this is a femlash story, don’t like, don’t read. *Don’t own Harry Potter or it’s characters. I only own the idea of Hermione being a veela. *I also not own the veela bonding/courtship ritual, that was an idea from D. Geheimnis and Dreiser; I came upon their fics "Accune Defense pour toi" and "No Defense for you", I strongly recomend you read those fics. Fleur's line """patience in all things, patience in one thing""" in "Accune Defense pour toi" was what triggered this plot in my head. 
> 
> So... on with the story

**_Chapter 24_ **

**_The beginning_ **

It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again.

“I must go downstairs,” he said finally. “I must see to other matters. Harry - take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later.”

Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley were all looking at him. None of them spoke for a very long time.

“You’ve got to take the rest of your potion Harry,” Mrs. Weasley said at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. “You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while… think about what you’re going to buy with your winnings!”

“I don’t want that gold,” said Harry in an expressionless voice. “You have it.” He said looking to Hermione who was still snuggled next to Fleur who was sleeping. “I shouldn’t have won it. It should’ve been Flur’s.”

The thing against which he had been fighting on and off ever since he had come out of the maze was threatening to overpower him. He could feel a burning, prickling feeling in the inner corners of his eyes. He blinked and stared up at the ceiling.

“It wasn’t your fault. Harry,” Hermione whispered.

“I told her to take the cup with me,” said Harry.

Now the burning feeling was in his throat too. He wished Ron would look away. Mrs. Weasley set the potion down on the bedside cabinet, bent down, and put her arms around Harry. The full weight of everything he had seen that night seemed to fall in upon him as Mrs. Weasley held him to her.

“She doesn’t blame you Harry. And Neither do I” Said Hermione “You didn’t know and you did the best you could under the circumstances”

Then, for a few minutes Harry cried into Mrs. Weasley’s arms. There was a loud slamming noise, and Mrs. Weasley and Harry broke apart. Hermione was standing by the window. She was holding something tight in her hand.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

“Your potion, Harry,” said Mrs. Weasley quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. 

Harry drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy, irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over him; he fell back onto his pillows and thought no more.

In the following days, Hermione’s parents were allowed to stay at Hogwarts until the end of term. They knew that things would change now, for good and for worse for their daughter. She was in a middle of a war, which she had no choice but to be part of. They trusted however that Professor Snape would aid her in every possible way and they knew for sure that Fleur would protect Hermione with her life.

When she looked back, Fleur found she had only scattered memories of everything that happened since arriving to the graveyard, to the moment she was dismissed from the Hospital Wing. It was as though she had been through too much to take in any more. The recollections she did have were very painful. The worst, perhaps, was the meeting with Harry when they both were awake and left alone at the hospital wing.

She did not blame him for what had happened; on the contrary, she thanked him for returning her to Hermione. Harry sobbed through most of the morning.

When they got to their feet, she looked down at Harry and said, “You look after yourzelf, now ‘Arry. And keep looking after Mon Ange while zhe stays at ‘Ogwarts”

Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table.

“You take this,” he muttered to her. “It should’ve been yours, you got there first, you take it -” But she backed away from him.

“Oh no, it eez yours, I couldn’t… you keep it. Besides, I already ‘ave my zhare”

Fleur returned to her quarters the following evening. From what Hermione told her, Dumbledore had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they leave Harry and Fleur alone, that nobody ask them questions or badger them to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. Most people, she noticed, were skirting in the corridors, avoiding her. Some whispered behind their hands as she passed. She found she didn’t care very much. She liked it best when she was with Hermione and they were talking about other things, like planning their life now that Fleur was not going to be a student anymore. Fleur informed Hermione that she was going to accept the position offered to her by the goblins at Gringotts in order to be close to her. Hermione’s parents had offered her a place to stay at their home while Hermione was at Hogwarts and only until she found a place of her own.

Hermione was surprised by that, her parents had not mentioned any of that before leaving Hogwarts. Not that she would complain. She could spend the whole summer with her Chosen and then she would come to visit her every Hogsmeade weekend once the school year started.

Hermione had also convinced Professor Dumbledore, to perform their wedding at Hogwarts at the end of term fest. Apoline was helping with the arrangements and the French Minister was going to be there for the Ceremony.

Hermione’s parents accepted to assist to the ceremony, on the condition that they were her to have a proper ‘non magical’ ceremony at home.

Fleur was spending more and more time with Harry, bonding in silence over what had happened to them. The only time they touched upon the subject was when Ron told them about a meeting Mrs. Weasley had had with Dumbledore before going home.

“She went to ask him if you could come straight to us this summer,” he said to Harry. “But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first.”

“Why?” said Harry.

“She said Dumbledore’s got his reasons,” said Ron, shaking his head darkly. “I suppose we’ve got to trust him, haven’t we?”

They used the one on Thursday afternoon to go down and visit Hagrid in his cabin. It was a bright and sunny day; Fang bounded out of the open door as they approached, barking and wagging his tail madly.

“Who’s that?” called Hagrid, coming to the door. “Harry!”

He strode out to meet them, pulled Harry into a one-armed hug, ruffled his hair, and said, “Good ter see yeh, mate. Good ter see yeh.”

They saw two bucket-size cups and saucers on the wooden table in front of the fireplace when they entered Hagrid’s cabin.

“Bin havin’ a cuppa with Olympe,” Hagrid said. “She’s jus’ left.”

“Who?” said Ron curiously.

“Madame Maxime” said Fleur.

“You two made up, have you?” said Ron.

“Dunno what yeh’re talkin’ about,” said Hagrid airily, fetching more cups from the dresser. When he had made tea and offered around a plate of doughy cookies, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed Harry and Fleur closely through his beetle-black eyes.

“You all righ’?” he said gruffly

“Yeah,” said Harry. Fleur only nodded her head while taking Hermione’s hand in hers.

“No, yeh’re not,” said Hagrid. “Course yeh’re not. But yeh will be.”

Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows at the disbelieving expressions on their faces.

“No good sittin’ worryin’ abou’ it,” he said. “What’s comin’ will come, an we’ll meet it when it does. Dumbledore told me wha’ you did. Harry.”

Hagrid’s chest swelled as he looked at Harry.

“Yeh did as much as yer father would’ve done, an’ I can’ give yeh no higher praise than that.”

“Yes, Harry did great.” Said Hermione

Harry smiled back at them. It was the first time he’d smiled in days. “What’s Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?” he asked. “He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madame Maxime to meet him - that night.”

“Got a little job fer me over the summer,” said Hagrid. “Secret, though. I’m not s’pposed ter talk abou’ it, no, not even ter you lot. Olympe - Madame Maxime ter you - might be comin’ with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded.”

“Is it to do with Voldemort?”

Hagrid flinched at the sound of the name.

“Migh’ be,” he said evasively. “Now… who’d like ter come an’ visit the las’ skrewt with me? I was jokin’ - jokin’!” he added hastily, seeing the looks on their faces.

It was with a heavy heart that Hermione packed her trunk up in the dormitory on the night before returning home, tonight was the night she had been preparing for a month and she was getting quite nervous. She was dreading the Leaving Feast, which was usually a cause for celebration, when the winner of the Inter-House Championship would be announced.

She was dressed on her Hogwarts uniform, and Fleur was dressed on her Beuxbatons Academy uniform when they entered the Hall. At his moment, they saw at once that the usual decorations were missing. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House’s colors for the Leaving Feast. Tonight, however, there were white drapes on the wall behind the teachers’ table. Fleur was stunned, she read “Hogwarts, a History” and knew that this was no normal decoration. She looked down to Hermione who had tightened the grip on her hand. Hermione only smiled at her and motioned with her head to the staff table, where she realized was standing the French minister of magic on the left side of Professor Dumbledore.

The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and his magical eye back in place. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him. Professor Karkaroff s chair was empty.

Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape. His eyes lingered on Fleur for a moment as she looked at him. His expression was difficult to read. He looked as sour and unpleasant as ever. Fleur continued to watch him, long after Snape had looked away.

Hermione noticed this and started to wonder what was it that Snape had done on Dumbledores orders, the night that Voldemort had returned? Was he to become a spy again? Was that the job he had taken up again? Had he made contact with the Death Eaters, perhaps? Pretended that he had never really gone over to Dumbledore, that he had been, like Voldemort himself, biding his time?

Hermione lead Fleur to sit on the Gryffindor table, forcing her musing to an end, when Professor Dumbledore stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.

“The end,” said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, “of another year.” He paused, and his eyes fell upon Fleur and Hermione.

“There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight,” said Dumbledore, “but I must first acknowledge life, of every one sitting here,” he gestured toward the great Hall in general, “enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to the joy of being alive.”

They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, “To the joy of being alive.”

Harry caught a glimpse of Hermione. There were tears pouring silently down her face. He looked down at the table as they all sat down again.

“Life, is something that one never must take as granted,” Dumbledore continued. “Several lives, were almost lost this year. This has affected you all, whether you knew it or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about.”

Harry raised his head and stared at Dumbledore.

“Fleur Delacour was tortured by Lord Voldemort.”

A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall, and everybody’s attention turned to the Gryffindor table. Some people were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

“The British Ministry of Magic,” Dumbledore continued, “does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that this did not happened, is an insult to Miss Delacour.”

Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now… or almost every face. Over at the Slytherin table Hermione saw Draco Malfoy muttering something to Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione felt a hot, sick swoop of anger in her stomach, so she forced herself to look back at Dumbledore.

“There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Miss Delacour’s situation,” Dumbledore went on. “I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter.”

A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Harry’s direction before flicking back to face Dumbledore.

“Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort,” said Dumbledore. “He risked his own life to return Fleur’s unconscious body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him.”

Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit, Fleur and Hermione being the first ones. They murmured his name, and drank to him. But through a gap in the standing figures.

Harry saw that Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and many of the other Slytherins had remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched. Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them.

When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, “The Triwizard Tournament’s aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened - of Lord Voldemorts return - such ties are more important than ever before.”

Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum, Hermione saw, looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh.

“Every guest in this Hall,” said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, “will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again - in the light of Lord Voldemort’s return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemorts gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

“It is my belief - and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken - that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder.

“Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened, because if we forget, then he has already won.

“On the lights of what has happened, it was brought to my attention a request to let a Hogwarts student to share a moment of joy and happiness with all of us. Tonight Miss Granger is, if she is accepted, getting married.” He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Fleur looked at Hermione, stunned by Professor Dumbledore’s words.

“So, will you have me?” asked Hermione

Fleur was speechless so she did what her heart requested her to do. She leaned and kissed her Chosen.

“ _I’ll take that as a yes_ ” said Hermione through their link

“Oui” said Fleur when they parted.

They were approached by the French Minister of Magic. Who requested them to stand facing each other, if they were ready. Once standing, Fleur looked around the Great Hall and noticed a few surprised faces, others were sad, others, mainly Griffyndors, were smiling, and a few others, the Slytherins, were snickering. She however, didn’t care, since she set her eyes on her Chosen again, and saw her beaming.

“We are gazered ‘ere today in order to celebrate ze union between Fleur Delacour and ‘Ermione Granger” started the Minister. “Madmoiselle Delacour are you ‘ere on your own accord, not pressed by any external influence, ozer zan your love for zis person?”

“Oui” said Fleur

“Madmoiselle Granger,” continued the Minister “are you ‘ere on your own accord, not pressed by any external influence, ozer zan your love for zis person?”

“Yes” replied Hermione, beaming at Fleur

“Who is ‘ere today to present Fleur Delacour?”

“We are” Said Nikos. “Nikos and Apoline Delacour, as ‘er parents”

“I am too” said Fleur’s little sister. “Gabrielle Delacour, as ‘er sister”

“Olympe Maxime” started Madame Maxime. “As ‘er ‘Eadmistress and mentor”

The Minister nodded and a swirl of magic gathered around Fleur, accepting the truth in the words just spoken.

“Who is ‘ere today to present ‘Ermione Granger?” asked the Minister then.

“We are” said Eric Granger “Eric and Jane Granger, as her parents and legal guardians”

“I am” Said Harry standing up “Harry James Potter, as her best friend” he said smiling to them.

“We are” said one of the twins “Fred,

“and George”

“Weasley” said the both of them at the same time. “as her loyal friends and confidents” they said.

“I am too” said Professor McGonogall “Minerva McGonagall, as her head of House”

“I would have to say, that I am too” said Professor Dumbledore “As her Headmaster, and representative of her biological family” He said.

Hermione looked up to the staff table, and saw Professor Snape nodding slightly.

The French Minister nodded, amazed by the a swirl of magic gathered around Hermione, he had never seen so many people presenting a witch or wizard to their wedding, and never all them being as strong and honest as this ones.

“Now it eez up to you” He said gesturing the veelas

Hermione nodded and decided to speak first “I was told, that loving someone is giving them the ability to break your heart, but trusting they won’t. Will you keep my heart?” She asked Fleur while giving her a golden ring.

“I’ll do” said Fleur looking her Chosen in the eye, while letting her put on the ring on her ring finger.

After a minute, Fleur composed herself and looked for the right words to say. “My family says zat when you are afraid of somezing, you want to make it go away. ‘Owever, zey ‘ave it wrong, I was afraid of you, of what you make me feel. I decided to overcome zat fear and approach you. I am glad I did. I can not give you my ‘eart Mon Ange, since you already ‘ave it. ‘Owever, I would like you to ‘ave also my soul and body.” She said smiling sheepishly to her Chosen. “Will you ‘ave me?”

Hermione had tears on her eyes, and she nodded vigorously “I’ll have you as long as want me in your life” she managed to say while Fleur put her on the ring that Nikos had approached to give her.

“Now, you are spouses” said the French Minister. “And it eez your duty to look after each ozer”

Harry started to clap to the newlyweds and soon he was followed by the entire Great Hall.

“I told you we would marry before leaving Hogwarts” said Hermione to Fleur, who could not wipe the grin off her face.

After the feast was over, Hermione’s parents were taken by Professor McGonagall back to London, while the Delacours and the French Minister, were leaded to a floo network in order to head back to France.

_____

Hermione’s trunk was packed; Crookshanks was now in his cage on top of it. She, Ron, and Harry were waiting in the crowded entrance hall with the rest of the fourth years for the carriages that would take them back to Hogsmeade station. It was another beautiful summer’s day.

“‘Ermione!”

She looked around. Fleur Delacour was hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Beyond her, far across the grounds Hermione could see Hagrid helping Madame Maxime to back two of the giant horses into their harness. The Beauxbatons carriage was about to take off.

“I will see you in a few days again,” said Fleur as she reached her, “I ‘ave to take care of certain matterz in France before being able to ‘ead ‘ome to you.”

“It’s okay, just be careful,” said Hermione smiling to her.

“Good-bye, ‘Arry, and zank you” said Fleur, turning to go. “It ‘az been a pleasure meeting you!”

Harrys spirits couldn’t help but lift slightly as he watched Fleur hurry back across the lawns to Madame Maxime, her silvery hair rippling in the sunlight.

“Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back,” said Ron. “D’ you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?”

“Karkaroff did not steer,” said a gruff voice. “He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork.”

Krum had come to say good-bye too. “Could I have a vord?” he asked Hermione.

“Oh… yes… all right,” said Hermione, looking slightly flustered, and following Krum through the crowd and out of sight.

“You’d better hurry up!” Ron called loudly after her. “The carriages’ll be here in a minute!”

Fleur noticed this while climbing into the carriage, but even when knew that she could trust her Chosen, she still did not like the Bulgarian seeker oogling over her spouse. In the distance, she saw Krum nod and lean in to give a brief hug to Hermione, who smiled up to him. Then they headed back to Harry and Ron, that’s when she finally entered the carriage.

Krum and Hermione returned quite soon, Harry noted. Ron stared at Hermione, but her face was quite impassive.

“Have you got a new headmaster yet?” asked Harry

Krum shrugged. He held out his hand, shook Harry’s hand, and then Ron’s. Ron looked as though he was suffering some sort of painful internal struggle. Krum had already started walking away when Ron burst out, “Can I have your autograph?”

Hermione turned away, smiling at the horseless carriages that were now trundling toward them up the drive, as Krum, looking surprised but gratified, signed a fragment of parchment for Ron.

The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King’s Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had managed to get a compartment to themselves. Pigwidgeon was once again hidden under Rons dress robes to stop him from hooting continually; Hedwig was dozing, her head under her wing, and Crookshanks was curled up in a spare seat like a large, furry ginger cushion. Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked more fully and freely than they had all week as the train sped them southward. Harry felt as though Dumbledore’s speech at the Leaving Feast had unblocked him, somehow. It was less painful to discuss what had happened now. They broke off their conversation about what action Dumbledore might be taking, even now, to stop Voldemort only when the lunch trolley arrived.

When Hermione returned from the trolley and put her money back into her schoolbag, she dislodged a copy of the Daily Prophet that she had been carrying in there. Harry looked at it, unsure whether he really wanted to know what it might say, but Hermione, seeing him looking at it, said calmly, “There’s nothing in there. You can look for yourself, but there’s nothing at all. I’ve been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you won the tournament. They didn’t even mention Fleur. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet.”

“He’ll never keep Rita quiet,” said Harry. “Not on a story like this.”

“Oh, Rita hasn’t written anything at all since the third task,” said Hermione in an oddly constrained voice. “As a matter of fact,” she added, her voice now trembling slightly, “Rita Skeeter isn’t going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her.”

“What are you talking about?” said Ron.

“I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn’t supposed to be coming onto the grounds,” said Hermione in a rush.

Harry had the impression that Hermione had been dying to tell them this for days, but that she had restrained herself in light of everything else that had happened.

“How was she doing it?” said Harry at once.

“How did you find out?” said Ron, staring at her.

“Well, it was you, really, who gave me the idea Harry,” she said.

“Did I?” said Harry, perplexed. “How?”

“Bugging,” said Hermione happily.

“But you said they didn’t work …”

“Oh not electronic bugs,” said Hermione. “No, you see… Rita Skeeter” Hermione’s voice trembled with quiet triumph - “is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn…” Hermione pulled a small sealed glass jar out other bag. “into a beetle.”

“You’re kidding,” said Ron. “You haven’t… she’s not…”

“Oh yes she is,” said Hermione happily, brandishing the jar at them. Inside were a few twigs and leaves and one large, fat beetle.

“That’s never… you’re kidding -” Ron whispered, lifting the jar to his eyes.

“No, I’m not,” said Hermione, beaming. “I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing. Look very closely, and you’ll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears.”

Harry looked and saw that she was quite right. He also remembered something.

“There was a beetle on the statue the night we heard Hagrid telling Madame Maxime about his mum!”

“Exactly,” said Hermione. “And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we’d had our conversation by the lake. And unless I’m very much mistaken, Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination class the day your scar hurt. She’s been buzzing around for stories all year.”

“When we saw Malfoy under that tree…” said Ron slowly.

“He was talking to her, in his hand,” said Hermione. “He knew, of course. That’s how she’s been getting all those nice little interviews with the Slytherins. They wouldn’t care that she was doing something illegal, as long as they were giving her horrible stuff about us and Hagrid.”

Hermione took the glass jar back from Ron and smiled at the beetle, which buzzed angrily against the glass.

“I’ve told her I’ll let her out when we get back to London,” said Hermione. “I’ve put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can’t transform. And I’ve told her she’s to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can’t break the habit of writing horrible lies about people.”

Smiling serenely, Hermione placed the beetle back inside her schoolbag. The door of the compartment slid open.

“Very clever Granger,” said Draco Malfoy.

Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him. All three of them looked more pleased with themselves, more arrogant and more menacing, than Harry had ever seen them.

“It’s Delacour now, Malfoy” said Hermione calmly

“So? You are still a mudblud” said Malfoy slowly, advancing slightly into the compartment and looking slowly around at them, a smirk quivering on his lips. “You caught some pathetic reporter, Potter’s Dumbledore’s favorite boy again, and you managed to trick a magical creature into marrying you. Big deal.”

His smirk widened. Crabbe and Goyle leered.

“Trying not to think about it, are we?” said Malfoy softly, looking around at all three of them. “Trying to pretend it hasn’t happened?”

“Get out,” said Harry.

“You’ve picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you, you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!” He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. “Too late now Potter! They’ll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord’s back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well… second, the veela will be the f…”

It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs, Harry blinked and looked down at the floor.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway. He, Ron, and Hermione were on their feet, all three of them having used a different hex. Nor were they the only ones to have done so.

“Thought we’d see what those three were up to,” said Fred matter-of-factly, stepping onto Goyle and into the compartment. He had his wand out, and so did George, who was careful to tread on Malfoy as he followed Fred inside.

“Interesting effect,” said George, looking down at Crabbe. “Who used the Furnunculus Curse?”

“Me,” said Harry.

“Odd,” said George lightly. “I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn’t be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let’s not leave them here, they don’t add much to the decor.”

Ron, Harry, and George kicked, rolled, and pushed the unconscious Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle - each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit - out into the corridor, then came back into the compartment and rolled the door shut.

“Exploding Snap, anyone?” said Fred, pulling out a pack of cards.

They were halfway through their fifth game when Harry decided to ask them.

“You going to tell us, then?” he said to George. “Who you were blackmailing?”

“Oh,” said George darkly. “That.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Fred, shaking his head impatiently. “It wasn’t anything important. Not now, anyway.”

“We’ve given up,” said George, shrugging.

But Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept on asking, and finally, Fred said, “All right, all right, if you really want to know… it was Ludo Bagman.”

“Bagman?” said Harry sharply. “Are you saying he was involved in -”

“Nah,” said George gloomily. “Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn’t have the brains.”

“Well, what, then?” said Ron.

Fred hesitated, then said, “You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?”

“Yeah,” said Harry and Ron slowly.

“Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he’d caught from the Irish mascots.”

“So?”

“So,” said Fred impatiently, “it vanished, didn’t it? By next morning, it had gone!”

“But… it must’ve been an accident, mustn’t it?” said Hermione.

George laughed very bitterly.

“Yeah, that’s what we thought, at first. We thought if we just wrote to him, and told him he’d made a mistake, he’d cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored our letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us.”

“In the end, he turned pretty nasty,” said Fred. “Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn’t giving us anything.”

“So we asked for our money back,” said George glowering.

“He didn’t refuse!” gasped Hermione.

“Right in one,” said Fred.

“But that was all your savings!” said Ron.

“Tell me about it,” said George. “‘Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan’s dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he’s in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn’t enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He’s lost everything gambling. Hasn’t got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?”

“How?” said Harry.

“He put a bet on you, mate,” said Fred. “Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins.”

“So that’s why he kept trying to help me win!” said Harry. “Well… I did win, didn’t I? So he can pay you your gold!”

“Nope,” said George, shaking his head. “The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Fleur, and Bagman was betting you’d win outright. So Bagman had to run for it. He did run for it right after the third task.”

George sighed deeply and started dealing out the cards again.

The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough; the usual confusion and noise filled the corridors as the students began to disembark. Ron and Harry struggled out past Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, carrying their trunks. Hermione, however, stayed put.

“Fred… George… wait a moment.”

The twins turned. Hermione pulled open his trunk and drew out Felur’s Triwizard winnings.

“Take it,” she said, thrusting the sack into George’s hands.

“What?” said Fred, looking flabbergasted.

“Take it,” Hermione repeated firmly. “Fleur and I spoke about it. We do not want it.”

“You’re mental,” said George, trying to push it back at Hermione.

“No, I’m not,” said Hermione. “You take it, and get inventing. It’s for your future. You are as intelligent as everybody says I am, you just don’t’ thrive to stand out, but to help people laugh. Fleur and I discussed this, and we agreed that with what is to come, more people will be in need of a good laugh. It’s for the joke shop.”

“Both of you are mental,” Fred said in an almost awed voice.

“Listen,” said Hermione firmly. “If you don’t take it, I’m throwing it down the drain. We don’t want it and we don’t need it. But we could do with a few laughs. We could all do with a few laughs. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to need them more than usual before long. Besides, you’ve been amazing friends. Is the least we could do”

“Hermione,” said George weakly, weighing the money bag in his hands, “there’s got to be a thousand Galleons in here.”

“Yeah,” said Hermione, grinning. “Think how many Canary Creams that is.” The twins stared at her.

“Who are you and what you’ve done to Hermione?” asked George

“Yeah, it is impossible that she has turned into the dark side” said Fred

“Ok, then look at it as an investment on Fleur’s part…we are investing in you”

“Mione,” Fred began, but Harry pulled out his wand.

“Look,” she said flatly, “take it, or I’ll hex you. I know some good ones now.”

She left the compartment before they could say another word, stepping over Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were still lying on the floor, covered in hex marks.

Her parents were waiting beyond the barrier. Mrs. Weasley was close by them. She hugged Harry very tightly when she saw him and whispered in his ear.

“See you. Harry,” said Ron, clapping him on the back.

“‘Bye, Harry!” said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek.

“Mione… thanks,” George muttered, while Fred nodded fervently at his side.

Hermione winked at them, turned to her parents, and followed them from the station. Talking about all the plans she had for the summer once Her Chosen arrived home. Her mother going on how beautiful the ceremony had been, but that still wanted a non magical one before she even considered moving out.

Not once the subject of the war was touched. Hermione was glad by that, agreeing with what Hagrid had said, what would come, would come… and they would have to meet it when it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know now there has to be a sequel, the bad news is I do not know when I will post it, or even start it.


End file.
